


Vengeful Ghosts

by BlackReaper1984



Series: Celestial Anomaly [1]
Category: Night Huntress Series - Jeaniene Frost, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Courtship, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Dark Magic, Elves, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Time, Genderfluid Character, Genderqueer Character, Good Demons, Gun Violence, Magic-Users, Other, Portals, Slow Burn, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-09-24 10:38:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 101,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9719510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackReaper1984/pseuds/BlackReaper1984
Summary: When zir Great Uncle returns from the dead and joins forces with a powerful sorceress to destroy zir family, ze must team up with Jefferson, the vampire ze has been actively avoiding, and find a way to save them. There are other developments that raise the stakes and tangle more than just Chris’ family in a life or death conflict.It will take strategy, strength, patience that Chris does not have, and help that ze does not want to save the people ze cares about most.Chris must prove yet again that ze is able to survive and thrive in the bloody world ze was born into.





	1. Prologue: Story Time

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally written for NaNoWriMo 2015. I wanted to explore a version of the main character, Chris, and the character of Jefferson in the Night Huntress universe. It is now part of a series that will be getting a sequel later this year where I will be continuing their story together along with that of another group of original characters of mine. 
> 
> The format includes eight prologue chapters that introduce context and backstory for Chris that is referenced in the actual story, which is twenty-six chapters long, and an epilogue chapter that takes place a year later. The prologue chapters each have their own titles, the chapters of the book do not and neither does the epilogue.
> 
> This is an experimental series with characters from all over the place. I have tried to combine them as seamlessly as I can, but it is an old work. Ultimately this was written for fun.

“Spade, are you sure about this?” Cat was sharing counter space with Denise in the opulent master bathroom of their manor residence in England when her husband, well, one of her three husbands, ducked inside to check on them and let them know a visitor had come.

All of them were attending a formal party held by an ally of Spade, a well-known vampire once known by humans as Baron Charles DeMortimer, to celebrate his moving back to his native country of England. Spade and Bones both owned more property less than two hours away, so they decided to go and speak about humans possibly regulating Paranatural activity in the future. The party was meant to be fun, of course, but it couldn’t hurt to be cautious about the future.

All of them had grown more vigilant regarding their own safety in the last five years. They had to be. Now it wasn’t just the six of them and their lines depending on each other. There was also a true miracle they had brought into the world that needed them more than anything.

Said miracle was currently trailing Bones, who had earned a name for himself by betting out death at a high price to whoever had a hit out on them, as he went to the door to greet their guest. Since everyone they knew was attending the party out of respect and courtesy, they’d had to scramble to find someone they trusted to watch over the tiny person that kept them all going.

Bones and Mencheres had made the call and asked a friend of theirs that Kira, Denise, and Cat had met in passing to stay at the house for the evening. He had obliged, to the slight discomfort of Spade, and had to be introduced before they all left.

“Hatter!” Bones’ cheerful tone put Denise and Cat at ease for the moment while they put away makeup. The two of them got to the front door just in time to see Bones embracing a man just about his height, with a mess of dark hair and long coat.

The man pulled away, dark red lips spreading in a grin. His cerulean gaze glinted with something that was difficult to place as he held Bones at arms’ length. “It’s been far too long!” he said, his voice not colored by an accent as Bones’ was.

“I’m glad you could make it. You don’t mind the favor, right?” Bones said, stepping aside to allow Mencheres who was dressed in a tailored brown suit to greet the ‘Hatter’.

Mencheres, an internationally known vampire who was recognized for leading the ancient nation of Egypt in his early years among numerous other notable accomplishments, had to remind himself to remove his mask of indifference and express his gratitude at seeing the man by smiling. “Jefferson,” he said, using a real name instead of a nickname,“It has indeed been too long.”

The visitor in question bowed to him. “You know I would never deny you anything, sire.” He straightened, a boyish smile still on his face. “I’m afraid I didn’t receive too many details on why I’m here.”

Mencheres nodded and waved the three women looking on closer. “I will explain, but first you should meet all of us. Some things have changed since the last time you were here.”

What Mencheres meant by that, the three women walking over had no idea, but the ex-pharaoh tended to be cryptic about most everything. They could press him for an explanation later. 

Cat greeted him first. “It’s nice to see you again-” She trailed off, not knowing what name to use.

He filled in for her,“Hatter. That’s what I’m known by most of the time.” He shook her hand. “And it’s a pleasure to see you again, Reaper. Or would Cat be best?” He was well aware of the identity of his sire’s wife; she had earned the nickname The Red Reaper by killing almost two-dozen vampires between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two, partnering with Bones to help him with his hits before she became part of an organization of humans that defended themselves against rogue Paranaturals. Since then, she had chosen to turn into the rarest type of vampire and remain in their supernatural world full time.

She took in his features, defined cheekbones, a square jaw, cleft chin, bright eyes lined with black, and dark red lips that contrasted with his pale skin that seemed to be dusted with gold. His aura was not impressive. It was odd that they weren’t leaving their child with a Master, but she trusted Bones and Mencheres’ judgement.

“Reaper is just fine. The two names sound better together," she said, then let Denise, known as The Dragon for her shapeshifting ability, and Kira, The Dark Lady for her fieriness, greet him next. Both women, like Cat, were a bit suspicious of him, but said nothing about it.

The last to say hello was Spade, who was visibly taller than him and had a slight undertone of disdain when he spoke. “Hatter..It’s lovely to see you again. And in one piece. I never would have guessed.”

The Hatter shook his hand and went straight on grinning at Spade. “Neither would I. But you know I’ve always been lucky.”

“Indeed.” Spade’s voice was dry. “You know what you’re here for?”

The Hatter inclined his head. “Housesitting?”

“Not just that.” Bones said, walking to stand beside his best friend and husband. “You’re also babysitting.”

Hatter looked confused at that, his brow furrowing. “Babysitting? As in your humans..or?”

Mencheres leaned down and picked up the small figure that had been shadowing all of them since their guest entered. He tucked them up against his chest and rubbed their back. “Not hardly. I don’t believe you’ve gotten to meet our daughter, Chinoe.”

The little girl in Mencheres’ arms eyed the guest with pure indifference that immediately made him uncomfortable. He hated children, Bones and Mencheres knew that.

“May I ask why?” he said, choosing his words carefully now.

Bones clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Because Mencheres and I trust you. We’re not going to leave her with just humans and everyone is going to this party. You’ll be fine, she’s very well behaved.”

“Is she now?” Hatter said, looking back into the deep green eyes boring into him.

Mencheres set her down and she walked to him, the top of her head nearing his hip. She looked up and held out a hand, her movements were almost mechanical in their precision. No normal Kindergartner moved or acted the way she did. Then again, Hatter knew his sire and his sire’s family; of course their child wasn’t normal.

He smiled at her and took the small hand, shaking it. “It’s nice to meet you, Chinoe.” Only his extensive travels allowed him to speak her name properly. He spoke more languages than existed on Earth alone. He trained himself to speak them all properly, it was the least he could do to not mock this child’s name.

“It is nice to meet you too, Hatter.” She said in a flat voice, lowering her hand. “Is your name really Jefferson?”

He nodded. “It is.”

“Is that a first name or a surname?” she asked, the only change in her tone was to convey that she was asking a question.

“It’s certainly one of those,” he said, smiling at his own quip.

Something that may have been a smile ghosted across her small face and she stepped back so her parents could say goodbye.

Once the six of them had left, the door shut behind them and Jefferson was left with the peculiar child of his sire and spouses still eyeing him. It was hard to discern why exactly she was doing it, but her impassive expression reminded him far too much of how Mencheres always looked.

“Why are you called Hatter?” she asked, breaking almost thirty straight seconds of awkward staring between the two of them.

“I’m afraid that’s a long story and I don’t want to keep you up past your bedtime,” Jefferson said. As much as he loved bragging and hearing himself talk, he wasn’t sure what to do with this kid still and story telling seemed too cliche.

“I don’t have a bedtime. It’s summer, I have no school to go to,” she said. Her voice was still so flat, and her posture was perfect as if she’d been balancing books on her head since she was an infant.

Jefferson found himself rubbing the ring on his index finger with his thumb as he tried to think of what to do for the evening. “Do you like to watch tv? Or play games?”

“I like to read,” she said.

He could work with that. “Spade has a library in this house, right? How about we go there and pick something out?” Anything to break eye contact would be fine with him. He didn’t know why she was staring so hard, but it had to stop.

She nodded and turned on her heel. Again, he noticed how strangely she moved. She was more graceful and lithe than a robot would be, but there was little looseness to her. She didn’t walk like a child at all. “It’s this way.” She walked off, her white socks made soft pattering noises on the hardwood floor and her the denim of her overalls rubbed together with every movement.

She led him up the grand staircase of the front room, down the hallway to the right into another wing of the house, and down another hallway where there was a large balcony overlooking the land around the house. The last door before said balcony opened up to a luxurious library with bookshelves lining the walls and standing in perfect rows on the right and left sides. In the center was a thick Persian rug with couches and chairs arranged by a massive stone fireplace. A landscape painting framed in gold hung above it, the flickering flames reflecting off of the intricate pattern carved in the gold.

Jefferson had more than one house that was more elaborately decorated than this one, but it hadn’t always been that way for him. He wondered what it must be like for her to grow up in the lap of luxury like this.

She walked to a long couch with dark red suede covering the frame and hopped onto it. Not a moment after she sat did a book float off of a nearby shelf and into her lap. “This book is my favorite,” she said, which prompted Jefferson to sit next to her so he could see it. He didn’t know she could have favorites.

In her lap was a gilded, illustrated hardcover copy of Lewis Carroll's Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. How ironic.

“Why is that?” He had to know why a book full of nonsense captivated this strange android child.

“Because it’s fantastical. Wonderland seems like an amazing place. I would love to go, but I don’t think I would fit in there," she said, and perhaps there was the tiniest hint of wistfulness in her tone as her tiny fingers traces the complex patterns adorning the cover.

You’re goddamn right you wouldn’t fit in there.. Jefferson thought. “I could read it with you if you want. Or to you. I have a good Cheshire Cat impression,” he said, looking to her instead of the book.

She opened it. “I can read it all on my own, but if you want to speak through it that’s okay too.” Something in her seemed to be relaxing by the time he actually began reading. She spoke Alice’s lines and he read the rest for her. He added some quips and commentary mostly for his own entertainment, but as he was nearing the iconic Mad Tea Party scene, found that he was actually enjoying himself a bit. They finished the book far too quickly in his opinion. He was getting very good at poorly imitating a British Woman’s voice for Alice’s older sister’s part at the end.

Chinoe closed the book once they were done and left it with the back facing up. “That was fun,” she said in the same flat tone as before, but her eyes betrayed her neutral expression with how much they had lightened.

“If you really love Wonderland, maybe one day you should go there,” Jefferson said. He didn’t know where it came from. He rarely discussed his special talent with people who weren’t employers, but it was already out there; knowing Chinoe for a couple of hours made him sure that she wouldn’t let it slide, either.

She looked up at him with slight confusion cracking the mask of neutrality that had been in place. “What do you mean? There’s no way to go to Wonderland.”

He shook his head. “On the contrary, there are a few ways to get there. I would know.”

She crossed her arms. “Why would you know?” she repeated.

“I know Wonderland better than anyone. I’ve been there,” he said, leaning in with an impish smile. “I’ve been to all kinds of worlds. I use magic to travel wherever I want.”

Her eyes widened. “Is that true?”

He chuckled. “Yes. Here, let me show you something small.” He reached into a pocket of his coat and pulled out an oval-shaped crystal about the size of his palm. He held it up and the lavender color in it vanished to reveal the image of a giant blue caterpillar smoking on a red mushroom in a forest of brilliantly-colored twisted trees. “This crystal collects images of things I’ve let it see. This is from one time that I went to Wonderland.”

Chinoe looked more like a child now that she had a look of pure awe on her face. “That’s amazing!” It was the first time she had raised her voice all night.” She looked to him. “What’s it like there? Will you tell me? Please?”

He smiled at her. “I’ll do you one better. I can show you what it’s like with this.” He wiggled the crystal. “Want to hear a real story about Wonderland?” She didn’t need to know that Alice wasn’t one woman. He had met several ‘Alice’s’ in Wonderland and had lost all of them.

By the time the sun was rising, he decided that he liked her laugh and smile even more than the look of awe she had given him at seeing the crystal; she was adorable when she smiled.

Jefferson hated children, but he was genuinely upset when Bones called him to let him know they were all on their way back. He would have loved to tell more stories and make Chinoe laugh again, but since he knew he would be off-world soon for Gods know how long, he decided to do her one better again.

“Do you understand how to use it now?” He asked, hearing the front door of the manor open.

She nodded, her hands clasped together.

He swept her up in a hug and she wrapped her arms around his neck, her whole body relaxed and moving fluidly instead of stiffly. He set her down and walked her down the steps.

Her parents were too busy talking to him to ask her about the crystal she had in her hands.


	2. Prologue: Brutal Debut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This prologue scene takes place ten years after the previous one and introduces the conflict arc that ties together the upcoming prologue scenes. We get to see the protagonist as a teenager and how they've grown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of sexual abuse and pedophilia, extreme gore and violence, mentions of domestic abuse and rape

Wood splinters scattered across the floor as gunshots rang out, their cacophonous cries bouncing off concrete walls as a blurry form flew through the air. Silver blades were flung by the form and hit targets that moved back and forth on the other side of the large room. Only when the door opened did the knives cease their steady stream through the air. A girl who looked to be about sixteen years old slowed enough to be properly visible and turned toward the door, three knives gripped between her knuckles.

“You have a visitor.” The man in the doorway was tall, over a head taller than the girl. His skin was wintry pale and straight black hair framed his face, dark with concern.

“Who is it?” The girl couldn’t have looked more different than him with her dark skin, curly hair and green eyes boring into his tiger-colored ones. A sports bra and shorts contrasted his pressed shirt and pants.

“Veritas.”

 

“Chinoe Amen.” The tall blond standing in one of the manor’s many sitting rooms would have looked like a teenager to an untrained eye, or a human. Pure energy rolled off her in waves that only one of her kind would be able to feel.

The girl in question, now dressed in jeans and a t-shirt instead of a sports bra and shorts, bowed to the woman, the two of them near the same height. “Guardian,” she said as she straightened. The small council of ancient paranaturals defended the laws of the entire species were known as Law Guardians; they stood above all others and a visit from one of them was rarely a positive experience.

“I have some questions for you,” Veritas said. “There has been a complaint filed by a master vampire regarding missing property. Perhaps you may know about it?”

Six pairs of eyes looked on with concern at the girl standing before the Law Guardian.

“Yes. Ares, right?” Her tone was polite and bland, not giving anything away just yet.

“Indeed. Ares was once allied with Ian. I am sure you know him well.”

“Uncle Ian? Of course. What’s the problem?” She asked.

“A week ago, Ares attended a party hosted by Ian and one of his property went missing. He has not seen her since then and believes that your family has something to do with it,” Veritas said, no accusation in her tone.

“Oh. I know what he’s talking about.” That made the girl’s parents tense up, her fathers looking to her mothers for what to do when she added,” I did it, not my parents.”

“You admit to committing this crime?” Veritas asked, almost daring her to take it back even as her mother Denise stepped forward to speak and was silenced by her father, Mencheres.

The girl nodded. “Absolutely. I took his human girlfriend.”

“I see..," said the Guardian. “And do you want to speak with him about this? He came with me to confront the matter.”

“Sure, where is he.”

“Christine!” Denise said, her voice higher with her worry.

As if on cue, another wave of energy crackled in the air. The man who entered the room barely fit in the door. He was tall and built like a tree, or maybe an elephant with a six pack was a better comparison. His eyes were dark, almost black, and his olive skin matched nicely with his curly brown hair. Ares. The name fit him well, considering that he put most sculptures of the Greek God of War to shame.

Christine made no move to greet him. She stared him down, something she had done since childhood that stuck with her. His aura was hostile and she could feel his fury like needles prickling her skin.

“So you’re the one who stole her. Why?” he asked, his words were colored with a light accent.

“Because you were being abusive,” Christine replied, short and simple. She had much more to say, but she could toss insults around when things got worse.

Ares snorted. “So? She is my property. It does not matter what I do to her. She is mine.”

“And that right there is why I took her from you,” Christine said, still staring him straight down. She had just been in the basement dodging bullets and hurtling silver into moving targets. He didn’t scare her.

He scowled. “So you think you’re gonna play superhero, huh? You think that’s not going to get you in trouble?”

“We’ll pay you back,” Denise said from behind Veritas. “Name your price.”

Before Ares could reply to that, Christine cut him off. “No. They-” she pointed to her parents,”-aren’t paying for anything. I committed the crime, so I pay the consequences, even if I’m in the right by stealing from you in the first place.”

Denise was about to protest when Kira gripped her hand. Pride flooded Kira at hearing her daughter being so true to her beliefs. Kira herself was training to be a law enforcer and she believed firmly in justice, not for abusers, but for their victims and there was the child she had raised standing up for just that.

“You think it is right for you to take what is not yours? Is that what you are being taught? How did you even meet her? She was supposed to be with me.” Ares snapped.

“I do think it’s right for me to take what’s not yours. Especially if it’s a person that you’re mistreating. It was unsafe for her to go back to you,” Christine said, keeping her voice level and indifferent; she knew it would upset him more.

“That isn’t your decision to make, insolent girl,” he spat.

“If you think so, then what do you want to do? I won’t have my parents pay for this. I want to. What do you want from me?” Her shoulders were squared in plain defiance, but she didn’t let any nervousness seep into her voice. She wasn’t fucking scared of him.

His dark eyes raked over her slowly, flecks of emerald appearing in them as she heard him thinking of all the ways he wanted to tear her apart for insulting him so profusely. Not all of them were violent in the bloody sense, either.

She let her eyes narrow, biting back how much she wanted to holler at him for being so blatantly disgusting. “Are you going to press charges or are you going to stare at me? Because if it’s the latter, I should change into something more flattering than an old shirt and pants.”

Her callous tone struck something in him because he met her eyes in an instant. “Do you know what my name is?” His voice was low, but his aura vibrated with fury.

“Ares, after the Greek God of War,” she said flatly.

“Yes. So it would only be fitting that we settle this the way my namesake would,” he said.

"What are your terms? We can settle this right now,” she shot back.

He chuckled. It was a chilling sound, filled with malice. “Oh no. If you are going to steal from me, I need to make an example out of you. Besides, I would rather beat you into a floor made of stone than one of wood.”

“You still haven’t set your terms,” Christine reminded him.

"We fight. To the death in my home in Greece. No weapons, or extra powers allowed. I want to see if you deserve to call yourself a true child of Cain if that is even what you are,” he said.

Denise was about to protest when Kira let her know that he was perfectly within the law.

All eyes were on Christine when she stared him dead in the face, allowing herself a small smile. “I accept.”

“I will see you in three days.” He left without another word and Veritas followed.

 

“Darling, are you sure about this?” Denise said. Her voice was surprisingly calm given how fast her heart was racing. The others could smell her fear. It was sickly sweet just like theirs. The only one out of the seven paranaturals outside of the virtual stadium built by Ares’ house that didn’t smell sickly sweet with panic was the girl who was risking her life inside.

“I’m positive. Men like him need to be put in their place. He treats women like shit. I can’t just let him walk around and do more harm.” Christine said, earning a smile from Spade, even if it was still nervous.

“That’s my girl. Go get ‘em,” Bones said, grabbing her hand and squeezing her.

“Damn right. We know you’ve got this,” Cat said.

All six of them all but crushed her in a hug as though it was the last time they would get to do so.

Christine walked into the room, no, stadium clad in an all black catsuit. A scowl was on her face as she faced off with the master of the home. She was not going to let him walk away alive, even if it cost her a limb or two.

Ares stared her straight down, the only thing covering him was a pair of brown cloth shorts. He looked like he’d stepped out of time with it on.

“Prepare to meet your maker, child” Ares said.

“Please do not monologue at me.” All she had on her mind was how the woman she had found crying in the bathroom looked. She was so young, and so terrified that someone would thrust her back into the arms of the man Christine was staring down. He had been about to rape her right on the grounds of Ian’s house. He had beaten her constantly and healed her so he could do it again. She was more than ready to repay him for everything he had done.

“Very well.”

She didn’t see his fist before it barreled into her stomach with enough force to kill a human instantly. Pain blasted through her, but she refused to let it show. She had taken bullets. She could take a fist. In fact, part of the training she had begun as a toddler involved taking quite a few serious hits. When she was a child, she used to demand that her parents chain her or hold her down and beat her ferociously until she was able to take the pain without losing consciousness and fight back.

She grabbed his hand, jerked it to the side so his wrist snapped and punched him in the jaw when his shoulder reflexively tilted. Blood burst from his mouth but he swallowed it and healed almost instantly. The blow had given her just enough time to dive forward and use his weight against him. She knocked him off his feet and onto the solid stone ground.

He socked her in the nose, making stars appear in her vision, then doubled her over by delivering another blow to her stomach. He jerked his hips up to send her flying off him and leapt to his feet.

To a normal person, they would have just been a blur of motion after that. She was on her feet immediately and charging at him with her nails, sharpened to points, digging into whatever exposed skin she could find.

His fangs tore at her catsuit, ripping skin off her shoulders, arms and even face when she got close enough. He slammed a leg into her side, then his bloodied fist went flying into her chest so hard she went flying into the ground. The stone cracked beneath her as her head struck the ground. His first blow would have killed a human. The impact of that last punch alone would have most likely incapacitated a young vampire. Everything hurt, but she would be damned if she was going down that easily.

Ares leapt onto her, his knees cracking the stone ground further with how hard they hit. One of his large hands gripped her throat, calloused fingers digging into the sensitive flesh there.

“I am going to enjoy mounting your head on my wall, you self-righteous, entitled, insufferable bitch.” He snarled at her, tightening his grip. His eyes were glowing bright emerald, just like hers as they stared each other down. His arm tensed, preparing to deliver his killing blow, when his gaze slid lower. A smile curled his lips. “So sad..I rather like you this way..Helpless and pinned under me..,” he purred. “I wonder what your screams would sound like.” To punctuate his point, he slid a hand down her torso to the tight material hugging her thighs. He pressed his palm between them, breaking into a grin. “Wouldn’t you like that?”

Christine could remember the last time pure fury had erupted through her with crystal clarity. She had sworn to herself then that she would never let anyone put their hands on her this way again and there she was. However, she wasn’t helpless last time and she would not be this time.

Her fingers collided with his stomach, but they did not form a fist. She didn’t want to knock him off her, no, she had something far worse in mind. Her hand pierced his skin, then past it to the muscles he had cultivated over time, then further past his ribs and lungs that he hadn’t used in almost a millennium. She moved too fast for him to react at first, then slowed to wrap her fingers around his heart. It didn’t beat. She gripped it hard enough for his fingers around her throat to loosen. She stood, hoisting him up with her arm sinking further into his body. He was on his knees, eyes level with hers as she dug her fingers into his heart, sending white-hot pain through him.

“The only person here being made into an example is you.” She could have whispered it, made it more intimidating, but she didn’t just want him to hear it. She wanted the Guardians to listen. She wanted his line to hear the last thing their master did. Her parents had all become infamous since becoming a part of this dark, bloody world and it was her turn to join their ranks.

She raised him up with one final blow, tearing his heart out of its place in his chest and ripping through his spine and throat. His head landed at the feet of Veritas who sat in the center of the Law Guardians watching. She yanked her arm free from his shriveling body and crumbled the blackened remains of his heart in her hand as she stared down the members of his line that gaped at her. They would know her now. All of them would.

 

Christine had always loved the night sky. She felt most at peace when beneath the stars that decorated her dark skin. She had not stayed to hear the reactions of Ares’ people once he was dead on the ground. She left in a blur to stand in the summer breeze and take in the glittering sky above her. She knew her reaction had been extreme, but she had reason for it. The last time she had gotten that angry, she hadn’t ended up covered in blood. But things change..There was nothing she could do now.

“Chinoe!” The name let her know who was speaking far after the telltale energy in the air did.

She turned on her heel to face the man who shared her heritage. “Father..”

Behind him were the five other men and women who together had created her.

“Bloody hell, darling, that was incredible!” Bones was the first to speak, running to crush her in a hug.

“Yes, it was..,” Denise said, though she looked like she was going to throw up.

“Are you alright?” Spade asked, stroking her cheek when Bones let her go.

“I’m alive, aren’t I?” she said, forcing a smile.

“Liar,” Bones said, “What happened in there?”

“Yeah, we’ve never seen you lose it like that,” Cat said.

“Well, he said no weapons.” Christine countered, taking a step back from them.

“So you could have just twisted his head off. Or crushed his heart. Not both,” Kira said, crossing her arms. “What is it that he said to you?”

“Nothing that matters, he was just being an asshole..,” Christine said, backing up again. They were outside, but she still felt cornered.

“Chinoe, we could feel your anger. It was far more intense than it had ever been. What was wrong?” Mencheres asked, keeping the rest of them several steps away from her. He knew they meant well, but he felt that she was going to tell them something important.

“It’s nothing that matters anymore, guys. You don’t have to worry,” Christine said.

“Bollocks. What the hell happened.,” Bones snapped, he hated beating around the bush and was even less patient when the safety of his own child was being threatened.

Christine sighed and swallowed. “You all have to promise me you won’t go berserk.”

That worried them all even more.

“Oh god, what happened to you, sweetie?” Denise asked.

“Remember when I was in middle school and you guys were busy all the time so I stayed late at school trying to make friends?” Christine said, keeping herself from looking down like she wanted to.

"Yes?” Spade said.

“Remember how you all signed me up for track so I could make friends?”

Cat’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, we did. And it didn’t work. You never talked about anyone..”

Christine began to twist her fingers together. “Remember my track coach?”

Bones was already scowling. “Yes, he got into an accident and ended up in a coma. What’s your point?”

She swallowed, trying not to let her mind wander. She didn’t want to relive the worst moments of her life, all she had to do was say that they happened. “Well, I didn’t go home when everyone else did. I stayed later. He said that he wanted to be my mentor and I listened to him. So, I let him do some things that he wasn’t supposed to. I didn’t know how to get out of it once it all started. He told me that you would all hate me if I told. He said that no one would ever want me if I fought back. I just wanted my peers to approve of me, and I wanted to feel like a real part of something..I just couldn’t take it anymore in the eighth grade. He tried to do it all again, but I didn’t want him to. I put him in that coma and mesmerized everyone so they would believe it was an accident. I lied to you all, and I’m sorry, but I should have been stronger. I should have fought back I-I just, I-” Her voice had started shaking halfway through the confession and by the end she was staring at her boots and almost crying.

She expected to hear screams and shouts of fury, instead her skin buzzed with electricity when a pair of arms wrapped around her. She broke into sobs when one pair of arms became two, then three, until all of them made a protective circle around her.

They didn’t need to say anything. She could hear them all thinking of all that they wanted to say. How many times they wanted to tell her that they would love her no matter what and that they were so proud of her. That made her gentle sobs turn into near wails that wracked her insides and would have knocked her over if not for the six paranaturals holding her up.

Christine had no idea what she would ever do without them. It didn’t matter how powerful she was, that couldn’t hold her together. She needed them more than anything.


	3. Drugged Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This scene takes place pretty soon after the previous and establishes Christine's routine as she tries to keep on being a normal teenager. It also introduces her first relationship, which will matter a lot later on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: PG-13 smut, emotional abuse, some blood

Three knocks, always the same. Two quick ones, a pause, then a final one. They could only mean one thing.

The tall black door swung open. Only the door stopper kept it from bashing a hole in the black wall behind it. Standing in the open doorway was a young woman clad all in leather, well, the minuscule garments that covered her were leather. Such garments included a miniskirt that would have been too short for a toddler to wear, calf-high platform heeled boots, a black crop top and an equally short leather jacket. She had silver piercings on her eyebrows, lower lip, tongue, nose, and several on her ears. Her hair was shaved on the right side and all of it was dyed various shades of pink. Her skin was lightly tanned which contrasted with the stereotype of her entire species being deathly pale.

“Honey, I’m home!” she called out, pearly white teeth shown in a grin. She flopped onto the king sized bed in the center of the room, wrinkling the purple bedding and making the girl sitting on it bounce.

“Hey Val.” That uninterested tone was not what the intruder wanted.

“You ready to go out tonight or what?” she said, crawling clumsily over to the girl who was still reading.

That earned her a questioning look. “Or what. We went out last night.” She turned the page of the thick book in her hand and returned her gaze to whatever was on it.

“Aw c’mon babe,” Val whined. “Please? You’re not supposed to read over spring break!”

“If I want to complete my women’s literature course at Brown this quarter I have to finish this by Monday.” There went another page.

That got rid of Val’s playfulness. “Christine. It’s Tuesday. You have six days until that’s due and you’re almost done already!” She plucked the book out of Christine’s hand. “Let’s go out.”

“I already said no, Val.” A twist of Christine’s wrist sent the book back into her hand. It opened to the page it had been on and she resumed reading.

Valencia sat, legs crossed, and pouted. When several minutes of trying to burn a hole in the forehead of the girl across from her didn’t work, she heaved a dramatic sigh and poked Christine’s arm. “What kind of girlfriends are we if we don’t spend time together?”

Bullseye. Christine looked up again and sat up straighter. “So I’m actually your girlfriend now?”

“Of course you are!” Valencia said, giving her a big smile. “I only date the cutest girls and you fit the bill perfectly.”

Christine smiled a bit at that, an impassive expression had been firmly in place up until then. “Thank you, but I’m still staying in tonight.”

“You would rather read than go out with me?” Valencia said, her pout returning.

Christine shut her book and set it aside on the white night table. “I said I wanted to stay in, I never said you had to leave.” She stretched, her blue hoodie riding up the tiniest bit when she did. “Is there anything you want to do that doesn’t involve clubbing?”

Flecks of green appeared in Valencia’s light brown eyes. “I have a few ideas.” Her voice dropped lower as she crawled forward.

“What are they?” Christine didn’t need to ask; she could smell Valencia’s wine spritzer scent deepen with her sudden hunger. The smaller woman hovered above Christine for a moment, her arms braced on either side of Christine’s shoulders before she dipped her head down and kissed her, long and searching, until she was prompted further by arms that pulled her down.

Valencia could feel tension built up underneath Christine’s skin, the last bit of her practiced control was still present and reigning in her aura and powers. It kept her detached and as focused as she could be. Valencia wanted it gone. She drew Christine’s lower lip between her own and sucked, settling herself down with Christine’s legs pressed against the outsides of her hips. The warm weather meant the only barrier between her and what she wanted was a pair of thin shorts, so she used the offending garment to her advantage. She cupped the back of Christine’s head, tangling her fingers in thick, curly black hair while her other hand grabbed the zipper of Christine’s hoodie and slowly dragged it down. She felt Christine try to turn her head, but a hand kept her firmly in place as the hoodie fell open. She’d hit the jackpot, nothing was underneath it.

Now to eliminate that last shred of control for good. She rocked her hips into Christine’s shorts just as she broke the burning kiss. The small gasp she got was all the encouragement she needed. Her lipstick left faint marks on Christine’s dark skin as she kissed and nibbled a trail to her neck. Fingers tangled in hair still bunched into a fist and tugged until Christine’s neck was completely bared to her. Christine’s skin was warm, but no pulse beat underneath the sensitive skin of her throat. That didn’t mean Valencia wouldn’t have a taste anyway.

Eyes glowing green with desire, Valencia dragged her fangs over where Christine’s pulse would have been. She rocked her hips again as her fangs slid in, piercing the skin beneath them and opening what should have been a vein.

Instead of blood, a thick, rich liquid oozed into her mouth. It was the word intoxicating made substance, overwhelming all of her senses at once. She sucked again, and again, unable to stop. Her eyes rolled back in bliss as she pressed Christine closer, desperate for more.

At first, the venom from Valencia’s fangs felt nice. Christine had never been bitten before, well, not for feeding. The brawls she had been in meant that she’d had chunks of her ripped out by fangs before, but that was a completely different experience. The pain then couldn’t have been more different than the warmth spreading through her from Valencia’s bite. A few moments after her skin was first pierced, the holes closed. She was pulling away when Valencia yanked her back and bit her again, sucking hard enough to scare her had she been in her right mind. Once Valencia got a few more mouthfuls, the wound closed again and she all but tore into Christine’s throat again to get more.

Valencia’s manicured nails digging into Christine’s shoulders coupled with her pinning Christine down so forcefully made something click in her heavily drugged mind. “Val..” It was a lot less forceful than she wanted. Damn that venom.

A hungry snarl and another bite was Valencia’s only response.

Christine summoned what strength she could when her entire body felt like it was filled with melted chocolate and shoved Valencia off of her. The gash in her neck healed instantly and she held her hands up to block Valencia leaping back on her for more. She flipped them onto the floor, pinning Valencia’s head with her hands and following suit with her girlfriend’s arms and legs using her power. Once her head was clear, she rose up off the squirming, snarling vampire and left her pinned telekinetically so whatever had happened to her would run its course.

Christine returned with food, knowing that she would need to replenish what energy she had lost from the feeding and sat on her bed. She finished her book and wrote up a report on it before she heard Valencia speak. By then, hours had passed since the first bite.

“Hey sweetie, you wanna help me up?”

 

Valencia swore that after that disaster she wouldn’t feed from Christine again. It didn’t matter how many times she said it was different, Christine counted her sneaking small droplets during throes of passion as breaking that promise.

“Val stop it!” Christine shoved her back, twin puncture wounds just above her collarbone closing as she sat up.

“It’s just foreplay, sweetie, don’t be like that,” Valencia said, reaching out for Christine, her eyes glancing down at Christine’s bare torso.

“It’s not foreplay if it sends you into a feeding frenzy. This isn’t okay, you never listen to me,” Christine said, indignantly covering her chest with a pillow.

Valencia rolled her eyes. “That’s not true. You need to lighten up, what’s the point of living forever if you’re boring about it?”

Christine prickled at that. “I’m not boring! I just don’t like you biting me.”

Valencia dragged her tongue over her fangs. “Why not?” she purred, trying to revive the mood her girlfriend had so rudely ruined.

That made Christine stand, her bathrobe flowing through the air for her to put on and tie. “Why not? Because anything more than a few drops turns you into an animal!”

“You like the animal, don’t you. You just won’t admit it,” Valencia said, her brown eyes beginning to turn green again.

“No. No I don’t, actually. You don’t even care what I think unless it’s in line with what you want!” Her frustration bled into the energy she put out even as she tried to tie it down. A few small objects, like the books on her shelves rattled slightly.

“I just want what’s best for you baby, calm down. I know you’re a hormonal teen, but this is ridiculous,” Valencia said, now crossing her arms and frowning.

“Finally!” Christine said, resisting the urge to throw her hands up; she knew her powers were tied to her movements and emotions. The former was because she trained herself that way, the latter was beyond her control and could be a lot worse.

“Finally what?”

“Finally you’re telling me the truth. I hear it in your thoughts everyday, but you seem to have forgotten I can do that. You just see me as some kid that you’ve blessed with your presence. You think I’m so lucky that someone older than me, like you, would put up with me at all! You don’t care, I’m just a drug to you!” Christine gritted her teeth to keep still. She would not stomp her feet or raise her arms. It was bad enough that her entire aura was vibrating with fury, but she could hear the carefully arranged posters on her wall and books on her shelves rattle and threaten to swirl around her.

That made Valencia stand up in a single lithe motion far too fast for a human to manage. “You think you can yell at me? You’re half my age, Christine!”

Christine backed up and walked past the foot of the bed to the more open area of the room where she had couches that she lounged. “And that’s another thing! You think there’s nothing wrong with the fact that it’s not even legal for me to be sleeping with you?” She kept her back to Valencia. She had to calm down. Calm, just relax, just be calm.

“No, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, you know why?” Valencia went straight on talking before Christine could give an answer to that. “Because there’s no one else out there for you. I’m it, baby! You really think some fucking human would put up with your weird powers and crazy family? You think you could convince anyone normal to stay with this freakshow you’re a part of? No!” Valencia stalked closer to Christine, her anger making her a lot bolder than she should have been. “And even if you didn’t want a human, who’re you gonna go to, huh? Huh? You gonna date someone from the fucking sixteen hundreds? You gonna go out and find yourself some three hundred year old that’s gonna put up with your teenage bullshit? Nuh uh, I’m all you’ve fucking got, so you better get used to it,” Valencia went on. She may have been short, but her venomous mouth coupled with a short temper made her formidable.

Every word cut Christine deeper. She had worked hard to be strong and protect people like her parents did. In the last year she had gotten so much better at seeing herself as something other than a ticking time bomb or monster that her entire family feared. She was part of a dark world, she knew that. She also knew that she had a great deal more power than anyone should, but she was responsible. Gods, her girlfriend sounded just like the bullies that had made her hate herself in the first place. And this had been going on for weeks. Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind, light tingles running through her body at the power in them.

“If you would just listen to me, none of this would be a problem,” Valencia purred, needing to go up on the tips of her toes to whisper in Christine’s ear.

That was the final straw. Christine slowly clenched her fists, and her aura flared before the arms around her were gone. She heard a crash in the hallway.

She turned, walking with slow, deliberate movements to a dazed Valencia who had made a considerable dent in the wall just outside Christine’s room.

“I’m done listening to you. We’re through. I want all of your things out of my house by dawn.”

Nothing worthwhile was ever easy, Christine knew that. She felt stupid for thinking that because Valencia was her first, that she would also be her last. That didn’t change anything, however. She would not let the young vampiress back into her home or her life, even if she felt like a piece of herself was missing once she was gone.


	4. Cardinal Retribution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This scene takes place soon after the previous one and is a turning point in the arc of the prologue. Not to give too much away, but Chris(tine) suffers a traumatizing loss that remains a mark on their character as a whole for the entire book. Not gonna lie, it's tragic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of abuse, rape, and pedophilia; gore and violence

“Who did that!? Who. Did. That?!” Nicole was practically screeching as she furiously turned her controller. Eight cars were on the television screen, but only three were being guided by controllers three girls wielded.

One, Nicole, was screaming as she all but lied on her side to get her car to turn properly. She had creamy pale skin and bright blue eyes. Her medium-length blond hair was tied up in a messy bun initially, but fell out of its hair tie when she jerked to the side too hard. It spilled onto her shoulders, framing her round face. The gray t-shirt she wore was a tad too small for her, the words on the front of it worn away. Loose pajama pants with kittens all over them covered her long legs when she leapt up. “I hate you two!” She said, tossing the controller onto the couch and stomping off to the kitchen for a snack.

Christine, clad in a matching silk pajama ensemble with bubbles and rubber ducks covering it, laughed and slid off the long couch onto the floor. “Told you so!” she called after Nicole.

“Do you think she will be upset about the blue shell?” Dina, the third girl of the trio asked. She had long, thick black hair that hung naturally straight. When it was humid and her hair decided to curl and turn into frizz, the sheer volume of it all dwarfed her petite frame. Very little of her tanned skin was exposed. She wore a thin yellow robe over a blue shirt and matching pajama pants.

It was four in the morning, and they should have been asleep hours ago, but they preferred each other’s company to whatever dreams they may have; which, given some of their life experiences, would not be pleasant. No, they would rather take full advantage of the luxurious mansion they lived in and scream at each other over video games, or watch movie marathons and clean out the fridge.

Nicole returned with a large jar of Nutella, half a loaf of bread, and three butter knives. “Anybody else up for Disney? I still haven’t seen Aladdin.”

Dina snorted. “I would rather keep it that way.”

Nicole backpedaled immediately. “It doesn’t take place in Egypt though, does it?”

“What? No. I still don’t care much for some of the cultural caricatures,” Dina said, taking a knife and two slices from Nicole when she sat.

“Right, um, how about..” Nicole trailed off, trying to think of another option.

Christine perked up from her place on the floor. “We should watc-”

“We are not watching Anastasia again,” Nicole cut her off,“You know every single line.”

“How about Phantom? We can all sing along,” Dina said, standing with a sandwich in her hand. She stuck her chocolatey knife in the jar and picked the movie out.

“I call singing as Christine,” Nicole said with a pointed smile at the girl on the floor.

“That is so unfair! You have a tenor range, you have to sing for the Phantom!” Christine protested, trying to reach the jar when Nicole held it out of her reach.

Dina put the DVD in its player and changed the tv’s channels so the movie could be viewed. She took the remote back to the couch with her and spread out on it. “You two are so childish.” She had been speaking english for a few years, but her words were still strongly accented. Her native tongue, Arabic, couldn’t be more different from what she was speaking now. Growing up in Egypt, she had known very little English. When she was kidnapped as a child and trafficked before a certain vampire who shared her heritage killed her kidnappers and took her to America with him where she would remain for her own safety, she hadn’t understood the transactions that took place entirely in English. Who knew that it would make her friends once she was not longer terrified of leaving the room she had been given?

“We are not-” Nicole paused to bite into her chocolate sandwich,“Childish,” she said, her words muffled with her mouth full. Nicole had been a runaway, fleeing her mother and abusive stepfather’s apartment in New York City when she was thirteen. She was on the street trying to make money by showing off her considerable assets in shorts and crop tops to whoever wanted them when a tall man with curly brown hair and a British accent offered her a better place to stay. She befriended his daughter a couple of years later once she was doing well in school and well-adjusted.

“I’m pretty sure I'm, like, a thousand on the inside, so I know you can’t be talking about me,” Christine said, finally snatching the jar from Nicole. She had turned seventeen in August, three weeks after she made her first bloody public mark with Ares. She had known Dina two years and Nicole for one, but they had only begun talking nine months earlier. They were the first real friends she’d had that weren’t upwards of a century old, or being friendly because they wanted something from her. No, they all just got along. It was so refreshing.

Half a loaf of bread, several cups of Nutella, and an hour of singing solos and duets later it was getting to be five AM. Christine and Nicole were on their feet, facing each other and holding hands as they sang over the scene playing on the tv. A slight tingle in the air let her know the paranaturals were nearby. Her first thought as she went to sit down when the scenes changed was that her parents almost never came home early. That tingle increased and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, whoever was getting close was hostile and unfamiliar. Dina was standing up, confused by her nervous expression when a thunderous crash shook the living room.

All three bullet-proof windows burst at once, three ghouls and a vampire leaping into the living room in a flurry of motion. Everything seemed to slow down, the shards of glass that had erupted into the room turned lazily and the billowing black coats worn by the intruders billowed almost gently in the cold breeze.

Christine would normally take stock of such an attack immediately, formulating a strategy of defense in seconds, but she was frozen for some reason. To her left were the three ghouls, leaping into the high windows lined up on the wall. They weren’t out of her league at all; their combined power level could never compare to hers.

What glued her to her place while Nicole began to duck under the coffee table and Dina turned to run out the door was the window in front of her. A master vampire with brown skin and a black wool coat was flying through the window at her. Something about the image made her mind spin. It seemed so familiar in a way that made her want to grip her hair and strain to identify why. It only took a second for her to realize why.

When she’d had her fingers wrapped around the heart of Ares, a sudden image had burst in her mind. It was only a flash but she could recall it with perfect clarity now. A dark-skinned master vampire clad in all black leaping through a window at her.

That second cost her friends their lives.

Christine whirled to face Dina who was a mere few feet away from her when the ghouls landed. Her power reached out and gripped Dina, yanking her back. It wasn’t fast enough. The small woman got a head full of bullets before Christine’s arms wrapped around her. One down, one to go.

Nicole was still underneath the coffee table when Christine dropped Dina’s headless body to shield her. Again, Christine was too slow. She turned just in time to see the master vampire smash into the table with enough force to burst Nicole’s body. Blood and gore joined the wood splinters flying through the air and stuck to the wall and Christine’s shirt in red chunks.

Christine was in complete shock. Her face was frozen in horror even as the ghouls circled her, all of them wielding silver blades. The master vampire who had splattered her best friend all over her gripped her neck and lifted her above his head and off the ground. A feral grin stretched across his face.

“I’ve been waiting so long to see you up close..,” he said in a deep voice that would have sent chills through her if she wasn’t still numb.

“You..” Her voice was a rasp and she couldn’t seem to find her words. Her mind was racing so fast she felt like she was going to faint. Why was her shirt so wet and warm?

“Remember me?” He went on, heedless of her attempt to reply. “I am Obsidian. You killed my sire, and over what? Some pathetic human. You are not deserving of the power you have.” He glanced at her bloody shirt. “And it appears you are not even capable of using them. What a waste.” He sounded genuinely disappointed. Perhaps that would have resonated with her more if she was listening.

All she could think about was that image. She had seen this coming, she just hadn’t known it. She had seen this coming. She had seen this.

The numbness that had turned her into an icy statue in Obsidian’s arms began to melt. White-hot fury replaced it, though it was not directed at him. No, it was all directed only at her. She had seen this coming. Her best friends were dead because she had not paid attention. Her mistake had killed them.

“You..,” she said it again, but her voice was no long a dull rasp and her face went from terrified to livid in a flash. “You.” She lowered her gaze from the window to look at Nicole’s killer. “You killed them.”

He chuckled. “But of course I did. They were humans, they do not matter.”

“You killed them,” she repeated, it seemed to be the only thing she could conjure up to say. Her aura flared and a tiny voice inside her screeched to let it burst forth. She had heard it before. She had listened then and she would do it again.

Her power exploded in a flare of energy that sent all four of them flying away from her. Obsidian’s grip left her but she did not land on the floor. They slammed into each other then out one of the broken windows onto the front lawn two stories below. She followed them in a blur of speed, whipping through the air and coming to hover above them. She clenched her fists, squeezing the four of them in a grip that would have killed a human. There was a buzzing in her ears that sounded like the voice’s screams at full volume. The four figures had yet to beg for mercy, so she gave them none. Violet flames engulfed them, stripping away their clothes. Then their skin. Then their muscles and organs, until not even bones remained.

Christine didn’t remember when she had returned to the living room. She didn’t remember when she had begun crying so much that tears joined the blood soaking her shirt. She didn’t remember when she had gathered Dina’s headless body to her and sat next to the pile of guts and fabric that had once been her friend Nicole. She did remember that image. It taunted her, hissing in her ear that she was a failure. It danced before her eyes whether they were open or closed.

Maybe it was right. Maybe she was a failure. Maybe she was a waste. She couldn’t ask Dina and Nicole to dispute it, so she watched her windows break over and over again and let the blood on her dry up even though her eyes didn’t.


	5. Gory Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This scene is where the actual violent conflict in the prologue's arc reaches its head. It takes place a couple of years after the previous one, and has some important changes. Christine is now Chris, and is no longer a girl, but a nonbinary person who chooses to present in a genderfluid way. Chris uses they/them pronouns, but that is hard to translate in prose, so from now on, I use ze/zir when referring to them to avoid any confusion.
> 
> Another tragic, violent scene that makes a massive impression on them in the future.
> 
> Enjoy the tears!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: misgendering, gore (look at the title), violence, guns, swords

Chris hadn’t been home in a few months. Ze hadn’t been talking to zir parents as often either, but college was demanding and university hopping added another layer of complexity to how Chris lived. However, exams, homework, papers and more applications didn’t matter now. Ze turned zir key in the front door’s lock and could already hear scratching behind the door. As soon as it opened, a dark ball of fluff came bounding out. Patches of white interrupted its coat of black fur. Pale grey eyes stared up at Chris’ as zir dog pawed desperately at zir leg, hopping up and down.

“Tenoch!” Chris smiled and picked up the dog who's tail was wagging hard enough to sprain if it didn’t stop. “How have you been?!”

Tenoch’s reply was to lap at Chris’s entire face, pausing only to nip at the long violet hair that had spilled across zir shoulders when ze bent down to lift him.

Chris walked inside, zir bags following zir before the door swung shut and locked again. “Did you miss me?” Ze went on talking to the puppy pawing at zir face. Ze pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I missed you too.”

An accented voice sounded from down the hall. “You didn’t miss us?”

Chris hugged Tenoch tighter to zir flat chest and ran into the first floor sitting room of zir father’s mansion. “Yes I did! Give me a minute!” Ze put Tenoch down so he could jump onto the couch and find a spot to sit. The four people that had been sitting stood as soon as Chris entered the room.

Cat was first to run forward, red hair flying behind her, and wrap her arms around zir tight enough to bruise. “Welcome home,” she said, her head leaned on zir shoulder. “You need to stop growing,” she said as she pulled back, grey eyes glittering with joy.

“Yes you do, now get down here and give mommy a hug”, said Denise as she shouldered past Cat, her brown hair tied up in a bun. She almost had to go on her toes to put her arms around her child’s shoulders. “How is my favorite little genius?” She beamed at Chris when she let go.

Chris smiled right back. “I’m doing well. I’m headed to California next week once spring break is over. I’m glad I get to rest though, my classes are pretty demanding.”

“You’re not skipping out on sleep, are you? Remember to take care of yourself, Chris,” Kira said, her arms crossed. It didn’t matter that she was the shortest of the lot, she was probably the scariest. Even when she was human she packed some serious punch in her petite frame and changing over into a vampire had only made her tougher. Her light green eyes scanned over Chris for a moment, her expression serious, before she grinned and threw her arms around zir. Her face was pressed against zir chest as ze hugged her back.

“I missed you too, Mama. And yes, I’m taking care of myself.” Chris let her go to smile up at the last person in the room.

Spade towered over the women in the room, but was a mere four inches taller than his child. His shoulder-length black hair had been braided back, mostly likely by Kira. “Welcome back, darling,” he said, sweeping Chris up in a crushing hug. “We all missed you.”

Chris squeezed him back just as hard until he put zir down. “I missed you guys too. A lot.” Ze glanced around the living room. “Where’s Dad? And Father?” Ze asked.

“There have been some developments since Christmas and they wanted to get ahead. They will be back soon, both of them send their regards and want you to know they would never miss you unless things were dire,” Spade said, his posh British accent made everything sound better. He could be talking nonsense and it would still sound good.

Chris shrugged. “That’s fine with me. Those threats were empty anyway.” The ‘threats’ were more attacks that had begun almost three years earlier. When Chris was turning sixteen, ze had fought a duel to the death with a Master vampire named Ares. Needless to say, things did not work in his favor. In the months following the attack, a group of three ghouls and another Master vampire named Obsidian attacked Chris when ze had been home with friends. Zir friends didn’t make it out, but neither did their attackers, so Chris thought things were even.

That was not the case. Since then, paranaturals loyal to him had been either threatening or striking against Chris’ family or members of their line. The rivalry was getting close to reaching critical mass at this point and there was talk of war breaking out, but nothing was confirmed yet.

Since it was late in the afternoon, dinner was already being cooked by the chef of the house. Delicious smells wafted out of the kitchen and throughout the rest of the house as Chris caught up with zir parents. Ze apologized for not calling more often and resolved to stay with them over the summer so they could all have more time together. Kira took serious interest in zir forensics class while Spade scoffed at the topics ze was studying in European history, saying that the teachers had no idea what they were talking about and should ask someone who was actually there, which gave Cat and Denise the opportunity to mock him for being old. By the time the dining table was set, Chris had forgotten about the bags in the front room and settled into the familiar relaxation that home brought.

Joining Chris’ parents so they could see zir were Annette, the first vampire Bones ever turned, Ian, Bones’ sire and best friend of both him and Spade, Tate, a soldier who had stood by Cat since before Chris was born, Juan, another soldier who was just as loyal, albeit more flirtatious, Cooper, another soldier-turned-vampire who completed the trio Juan and Take were a part of, and finally Gorgon, a vampire who had stood as a servant of sorts for Mencheres longer than any of the other vampires in the house had lived. Chris thought of them as aunts and uncles despite none of them being related in the slightest. The old village metaphor proved to be true in Chris’ case. It had taken all of them and more paranaturals that weren’t there to raise zir.

Annette was the first to greet zir, her style impeccable as always with her strawberry blond hair elegantly tied back and her flowery dress. She kissed zir on both cheeks and couldn’t help but gush over how much zir had grown.

Ian followed next, his eyes grazing Chris appraisingly. “Sure did, Annette,” Ian commented. “Grew up quite pretty too, didn’t you.”

Chris chuckled, used to Ian’s backwards compliments. “Thanks, Uncle. I try very hard.”

“/Mi amor/.” Juan rolled the ‘r’ for far longer than needed as he pulled Chris into a tight hug. “You got so big! When did this happen? You’ll have women all over you if you look like that,” he said, grinning as he held Chris an arm’s length away to look at zir properly.

“Well Tio, you know women aren’t the only people I’m interested in.” Chris said with a slight smirk.

“That’s /mi niño/.” He patted zir shoulder and went to sit so Tate and Cooper could greet zir.

Tate smiled slightly at Chris, grabbing zir hand and pulling zir into a one-armed hug. “It’s great to have you back, kid. Even if it’s just for a few days.” He sat beside Juan.

Cooper followed next and patted Chris’ shoulder. “I thought your mom was a freak, but you proved me wrong when you were born. You better be staying out of trouble,” he said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Chris shrugged. “I dunno, can you get into trouble when all you do is study?”

“With your family? I’m sure you can find a way. You’re smart.” Cooper patted zir shoulder again and sat down.

Denise was already serving herself while Cat, Kira and Spade made chatter with the other vampires. When Chris went to sat, a light tap made zir turn around.

Gorgon would seem young if his aura didn’t give him away. He had a vertical scar over one eye and blond hair that shined no matter what lighting he was in. “It is wonderful to have you back,” he said, smiling at Chris before he hugged zir. “Bones and Mencheres will be home soon,” he said,“They have missed you a great deal.”

Chris hugged him back. He was like a doting grandpa in a way. He was younger than Mencheres, but he just seemed to act more like a grandfather to Chris than anything else. Just as ze was serving zirself, the front doors opened then closed. It was less than a second later when Bones and Mencheres walked into the room.

“What is this?” Bones said, his hands on his hips. “You’re not gonna say hello to your old man?”

“If anyone is ‘the old man’ it is me,” Mencheres countered with an almost smile.

Chris ran and almost tackled Bones to the floor in an embrace. “Is that better, Dad?” ze said, grinning at him.

He squeezed zir until ze grunted. “Damn right, you should respect your elders more.” Bones was barely an inch taller than Chris, but he may as well have been a foot taller with his personality.

“I’ll try and keep that in mind,” Chris said as he let zir go. Ze turned to Mencheres and bowed down so low zir hair pooled on the floor. “Father. It is the utmost pleasure to be graced with your presence,” ze said, feigning a haughty voice and not rising until ze heard Mencheres snort.

“That brings me great joy, my blessed offspring.” Was the ancient vampire’s reply. He extended a hand to Chris and ze knelt down, kissing it with the lightest brush of zir lips.

“Blimey, Sire, do you have to be so dramatic?” Ian chimed from the table, rolling his eyes.

“But of course, it is tradition to honor your parents,” Chris said, that comical voice was back, this time with a British twang that sounded suspiciously similar to Spade’s accent.

Mencheres and Bones took their places at the table, chatting while Denise and Chris dug into their food, heaping on second and third servings from the wide array of dishes laid out. Having demon brands on her gave Denise certain abilities, the most rare of which was shape-shifting. A side effect of the brands was a ravenous appetite that meant she ate at all times of the day. Chris was another matter entirely and needed large amounts of food to sustain zirself. Different things could work to keep zir healthy and functioning: blood, pure energy in the form of intense mediation, sleep, or copious amounts of food. Ze usually chose the latter since enhanced senses meant food tasted amazing, and because it was easier to have access to.

When Denise and Chris had their fill, Gorgon helped them clean up the table as the entourage of vampires went upstairs, telling Denise and Chris to follow when the table was cleared. All but Chris gathered again in the upper floor. The tall ‘paranatural’ as ze was thought of, there was no real category for zir so most just referred to zir as a celestial being of sorts, followed a tingle to a side room where a brunette woman with blue eyes and pale skin was wrapped in a quilt reading.

“Hey Grandma,” ze said, giving her a smile even though ze could already hear the woman grumbling in her mind.

Justina lowered her book and looked Chris up and down, disappointment plain on her face. “How long are you staying?” No ‘hello’, no hug, she didn’t even shift in her chair.

“Just for spring break. I’ll be back in school by Monday, so six days,” Chris said, holding zirself straight and resisting the urge to fidget.

“Mm,” she said, then squinted a bit. The red color Chris’ hair faded into after the bright purple ze had dyed it at the roots and most of the length was the same shade as Cat’s, but Justina’s grandchild didn’t resemble her daughter at all according to her. When she had heard that she would get to be a grandma, she had imagined a sweet little girl with creamy white skin and a pretty face. The person, thing, whatever Chris was, in front of her did not had anything in common with what she had wanted. The left side of zir naturally textured hair was shaved off and zir hair hung down to zir lower back on some days, on other days it was a curly mass, and yet other days it hung around zir shoulders; she could barely even recognize zir with all of zir strange dress changes. Some days, like today, ze wore liner around zir large almond-shaped eyes and lipstick, but had no curve to zir body or bulging chest, other days, ze was bustier than her and wore skirts, but had a touch of dark hair sprouting from zir chin. It was too confusing for her to process.

“What kind of day is it?” she asked.

Chris tilted zir head. “What do you mean?”

“Is it a boy day or a girl day?” Justina clarified, almost pouting with her disappointment at having to even ask.

Chris shrugged. “It’s a nothing day, I guess.” It didn’t matter how many times ze explained things to her, Justina just never seemed to listen or understand. Normally she would just agree with zir to get zir to go away or shut up. Not to mention that she had argued with Chris about tanning because she didn’t want zir to be darker skinned than ze already was. Despite the fact that they couldn’t so much as make eye contact without getting into a fight, ze knew that she was zir grandma and tried to connect with her anyway.

She looked upset to hear that and shut her book, standing. “I’m hungry,” she said, and left without another word.

Chris didn’t even bother to sigh, ze was nearly twenty and in twenty years Justina just seemed to never come around. There wasn’t really anything ze could do at that point, so ze went upstairs to hear what zir parents’ minds were buzzing about.

 

“These are just rumors, right?” Kira asked when Bones told the group that Ares’ death was still being used against them, particularly Chris. “They couldn’t organize this fast, could they? We know they’re coming now.”

“They’re not dumb enough to think they can take us, are they?” Cooper said. “With the lot of freaks we’ve got here, we could topple a small nation’s army.” Just as he finished up, Mencheres’ gaze snapped to the door.

“What is it?” Spade asked, nearly adding ‘sire’ to the end of the sentence out of habit. Sometimes he had to remind himself that the Egyptian vampire was also his husband.

“They are here.”

An unregistered plane had flown over the house while they were all talking. Ghouls and vampires alike had dropped out of it while three vans had lined up in front and more of them poured out.

Chris and zir family were blurs of motion all over the top floor, gathering weapons and strapping them to themselves. When they were all but covered in silver and loaded up, they split.

In the time it took them to gather their weapons, a couple of the paranaturals from the vans entered by kicking in the front door. Justina was in the front room about to return to her book from her trip downstairs to feed and froze in place when she saw the intruders.

“Hey!” she yelled at them, her fists already clenched. “What are you doing here?”

They regarded her with slight confusion. “Who are you?”

“That doesn’t matter, what the devil do you think you’re doing here?” she snapped in reply.

The strongest Master ghoul of the group stepped forward. “We are here for Night Vale,” he said,“The child of Mencheres and his kin. Now get out of our way, they must pay recompense for their transgressions.”

Justina squared her shoulders. “If you think I’m gonna let you get a step closer to my grandchild, you have another fucking thing coming!” She ran forward, eyes blazing and fangs pointed.

She had a silver sword through her chest before she even knew what was happening. The blade was twisted and the light faded from her eyes in the next moment. Her body was left to decay on the floor as upstairs the windows burst with vampires and ghouls leaping through them.

 

Spade and Gorgon were downstairs first, both of them were master vampires and didn’t need as many weapons at the others. That and it wouldn’t do any harm for them to take stock of how many undead attackers there were aside from the ones shattering glass in the upper floors.

By then Justina’s killer had run upstairs to capture his target while Spade and Gorgon made quick work of the first few vampires who entered the house. As more poured in, Ian, armed with a pair of twin silver blades, sliced his way down the stairs to meet them, Cat trailing behind with throwing knives covering her.

From upstairs, Mencheres blocked the front door with a mental barrier. Bones wielded a silver blade long enough to qualify as a small sword while Annette sliced through vampires and ghouls alike, curved knives in her hands.

Tate and Cooper were falling into step with Chris when a scream of anguish had them all running to the front room.

“Kitten?!” Bones called from upstairs, a blast of power knocking back the paranaturals still trying to crawl in through the windows upstairs. He was beside Cat in a second as Denise leapt over the grand staircase railing.

“Cat, what is it?!”

The woman in question was on her knees, her entire form bent over a body that she was cradling. Sobs shook her almost violently as she stroked the face of whoever she was holding.

“Justina..,” Spade said, gripping a vampire in one hand while Gorgon stood holding a blade in the vampire’s chest.

“Who did this,” Bones growled, his voice was quiet, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying.

“I believe this sod had something to do with it,” Spade said tightening his grip on the vampire he held. “He was in the room when we found her.”

Bones was about to stalk over to the vampire when Chris held up a hand.

“I know you want to torture the information out of him, Dad, but you don’t have to. I already know what happened.” Bones and Mencheres could hear thoughts, but only those of humans. Paranaturals had a form of mind control that didn’t allow such powers to work on them, however, Chris seemed to be an exception to many rules and that was one of them. “I was talking to Grandma when you were all upstairs and she was going downstairs to eat. When the leader of the group, a ghoul named Joseph told Grandma that he was after me, she tried to stop them.” Chris remained outwardly calm even as zir aura rolled out in waves of sorrow. “He killed her and left her here.”

In those twenty years, Chris had spent quite a bit of time with Justina. Ze had known from childhood that ze wasn’t the grandchild she had wanted and it had seem that the older ze got and the more ze grew, the more disappointed she got. When ze came out the first time, at the age of fifteen, as pansexual, she had vehemently denied that such a thing were possible. When ze was going off to college and came out as nonbinary and began presenting in a genderfluid fashion, that seemed to have been the last straw. She had never said ‘I love you’, never spent weekends spoiling zir with affection, or so much as hugged zir. Chris had sincerely thought that Justina hated zir.

Chris couldn’t have been more wrong, and now, instead of thanking her, ze would have to bury her.

Cat wiped her eyes and stroked Justina’s withered face, since when any kind of Paranatural died in the permanent way, their body reverted to its actual age. Justina had only been turned for thirty years, so she didn’t turn to dust, but she didn’t look as young as she had wrapped in her quilt earlier.

“Who did this,” she repeated Bones’ earlier question, except the pain in her voice made her scarier than his fury had made him. This was personal now.

“I do not believe he killed her on purpose, but whoever orchestrated this knew that any kind of loss would be devastating for us all. We must focus on defeating them.” Mencheres said from the top of the stairs, more than a little bit of blood splattered on him. “There are more of them outside, we need to regroup.”

That was all the lot of them needed to hear. Cat stood and walked to the vampire Spade held. “He didn’t do anything, did he, Chris?”

“No, it’s Joseph you want, Mom,” ze said.

“Good, make sure he lives, I have a few things I would like to say to him,” Cat said as she twisted the blade in the vampire’s chest.

The gloves were off from then. Cooper and Gorgon were asked to flank Chris by Mencheres and Cat, the three of them going out the front door once Mencheres dropped his barrier. The rest of them went back upstairs to clear out the rest of the house.

Cooper had several guns filled with silver bullets on him and a few blades. Gorgon was armed with two knives, and Chris wielded a single silver sword that Ian had given zir for Christmas.

The three of them cut down vampires and ghouls alike with deadly precision, littering the front lawn with shriveling bodies. More paranaturals leapt off the roof at them only to be shot down by Cooper and finished by Gorgon. Chris began to separate from their tight formation in favor of slashing through the advancing horde. Whoever had organized this was powerful to get so many paranaturals to join in the fight against Mencheres and his family. In one of the carefully kept trees, hid a ghoul with a machine gun. A barrage of silver bullets struck Chris as ze advanced further across the yard. Ze used zir power to tear the heads off of paranaturals closing in that were too far to reach with the bloodied sword despite feeling like zir insides were on fire from the silver striking zir with every movement.

At some point, the roof must have been cleared, because Chris felt familiar auras coming up behind zir. Cooper and Gorgon had remembered their being ordered to protect zir. Chris got to the tree where the gunman, or rather gun-ghoul, was sitting and hacked it down with a single swipe of zir sword. The moment that it took to do that was still enough time for the ghoul to empty their last clip into Chris, however, and ze could feel zir power draining. The ghoul’s head was torn off before ze turned around to see Cooper running over.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” He said, losing his normal composure.

Chris managed to not sway on zir feet. “I’m defending my house.”

“You just absorbed enough silver to pay off all of your colleges, for fuck’s sake, Chris, be careful! You don’t know what it’ll take to kill-“ Cooper was cut off by a knife through the chest before he could finish scolding the paranatural in front of him. The blade was twisted, shredding his heart and killing him just as Chris screamed and sliced the head off of his killer.

Gorgon must have heard the scream, because he was beside Chris in a moment. He didn’t need to ask what had caused the outburst. Cooper’s withering body spoke for itself.

“We must return to the house,” Gorgon said, dragging a numb Chris back toward the door. “You will be safer in the panic room.”

That brought Chris back to reality and ze yanked back from him. “Panic room!? There’s no way I’m just going to sit back and let more of you die!” Ze yelled, then stopped when ze saw Gorgon staring over zir shoulder.

Ze turned around and saw a Master vampire with a rocket launcher over his shoulder, two more flanking him with similar destructive weapons aimed at Chris and Gorgon as well as the house behind them.

“Night Vale,” the vampire said, using the name Chris had been given by zir parent’s enemies. It was practically common knowledge among paranaturals that zir powers were connected to a higher force, most likely the Cosmic itself, and zir dark skin, branded with an image of the heavens, sealed the deal in terms of being called a child of The Night. “Come with us and we will not fire.”

Gorgon was about to step between Chris when ze held zir sword in front of the older vampire, quietly saying,“I can’t let someone else die.” /For me../ Ze finished the sentence silently, then raised zir voice to address the paranaturals who had rocket launchers still trained on zir. “All of you will stop if I leave with you?”

“Absolutely,” the vampire said. “But you’ll have to set down your blade.”

Chris wanted to snap that ze didn’t need a sword to kill them, but ze could barely stand with the amount of silver that had been emptied into zir. It wouldn’t kill zir, but it hurt like hell and made ze weak regardless. Ze drove the bloody sword into the ground with one hand and saw Gorgon’s hand twitch with the urge to grab zir and run, but those damn rocket launchers kept him from moving. Vampires could survive a lot. Being blasted to pieces, however, was beyond even their healing ability.

Chris straightened and walked across the yard to the waiting trio with a grace that only a Master paranatural would have. Ze really, really wanted to fall on zir face and sleep for a few days, but that wasn’t an option at the moment, so ze met their gazes cooly. Once ze was in front of them, ze looked to the leader, dark green eyes furious from the two losses ze had suffered that day. “Happy now? Call your people out of my house before I change my fucking mind,” ze said.

“Oh they aren’t my people. I’m afraid I don’t have that authority.”

Chris was about to make zir move against the vampire when he pulled the trigger of his launcher. Smoke burst out of it as the rocket that had been trained on the front door behind Gorgon whizzed through the air. /FUCK!/ Was the only thing Chris could think as ze tried to focus hard enough to stop the rocket. The other two were fired just as the first slowed down a fraction. It wasn’t enough to stop Gorgon from being blasted into the front room of the house and blown to smithereens less than a minute before the second floor of the mansion went up in brilliant red flames and dark smoke. Chris had torn the heads off of the vampires who shot without even thinking about it, then was airborne before their bodies hit the ground. /Please be alive..Please, please, please../ Ze repeated it over and over as ze smashed through the wall of the third floor. Skeletal bodies covered the floor. Ze could feel electricity filling the air as ze flew further and came to the third floor ballroom.

It was a bloodbath. All of the windows had been completely destroyed, and corpses were everywhere, but among them were not Chris’ parents. They were a tornado of destruction, finishing off the last of the invaders as Ian, Tate, Annette, and Juan arrived with who Chris could assume from the memories ze had stolen from the vampire who witnessed Justina’s death was Joseph. Ian held a blade against his throat, poised to slice straight through it if he made a move to bolt.  
“You-," Spade said, pointing a bloody finger at Joseph. “-have some questions to answer.”

 

Chris was not allowed to stay for the interrogation even though ze could pluck the answers straight out of Joseph’s head. He was locked in the basement and left with Bones, Cat, and Mencheres while the rest of them took stock of the damage and casualties. It turned out there were only three on their side and all of them were Chris’ fault. Well, not really, but that’s how it felt.

Luckily, Tenoch, Chris’ Pomeranian and Siberian Husky mix was not among the deceased. He had run downstairs to pester Justina and stayed with the humans who locked down the bottom floor when they heard a commotion. Chris’ parents had adopted him almost three years earlier when Chris’ first real friends Dina and Nicole were murdered. He was intended to be a therapy dog that would provide emotional comfort for zir. Chris had named him Tenoch when Mencheres said that the dog’s eyes reminded him of his sire. The dog was all too happy to fulfill his purpose once Chris was dragged to the basement to feed from one of the humans there and changed into new clothes. Apparently the multitude of holes in zir shirt gave away how much damage ze had taken to Annette. No wonder she hadn’t believed Chris when ze said it wasn’t that bad.

Chris went to the not burned and blown up part of the house to sit numbly with Tenoch and think of how many lives ze had ruined. Waves of grief and regret washed over zir, all too intense for zir to process. Tenoch lapped at zir tears while ze stared off into space. Images flashed in zir mind, Cooper’s panic when he saw bullets being sucked into zir skin before panic was replaced with agony, then nothing as he died; Gorgon’s resolve when he tried to stop Chris from making a bargain with the vampires, then a flash of sheer terror when the rocket was fired at him; the vampire Obsidian dressed in all black leaping through zir living room window.

It appeared that the past didn’t like to stay where it belonged when it came to Chris. It just had to come back to remind zir that no matter what, ze was never fast enough, or strong enough, or smart enough to save anyone that actually mattered. Ze wondered how many more times ze would lose loved ones because of stupid mistakes.


	6. Sacrificial Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This scene takes place right after the previous one. This is the climax in the arc of the prologue and begins to set up the premise of the book itself. Chris makes zir first large decision, and can never back down from it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: gore and violence

Chris didn’t seem to ever travel for fun. Even as a child, there were rivals or enemies of zir parents causing trouble that meant ze would have to fly cross-country, or hide out somewhere beautiful and remain inside instead of exploring. This time it was regarding Joseph’s attack from a week earlier. Chris and zir parents had flown to Switzerland for a meeting with the Law Guardians. There was a cave system in the Swiss Alps that they and many Enforcers gathered for special occasions like initiations and creations of laws.

Veritas contacted Mencheres five days after the attack. It turned out that Joseph had hired mercenaries to prevent and all-out war, so there was no one to answer for the casualties and damage. Instead, the six of them were planning to give their enemies an ultimatum. Cat was beyond furious in her grief over Justina’s death. She wanted everyone near Joseph dead and it appeared that the Guardians knew that because they requested that Chris join zir parents in seeing them the day that they were going to speak out.

Bones, Mencheres and Spade carried Cat, Kira, and Denise respectively as they flew alongside Chris up the side of a mountain face. There was a large ridge that jutted out between two mountains where a cave entrance was. Six Enforcers, all armed with silver stood at the entrance, guarding it.

“State your business,” one of them said, she was tall and her aura announced her as at least six centuries old.

“The Guardian Veritas has demanded an audience with us. We have come at her request,” Mencheres said, his face an impenetrable mask.

Two guards emerged from the cave, armed like the other ones, to escort them all inside. The tunnels inside would have appeared pitch black for human eyes, but they could all see perfectly fine. The advantage of the cave was that there were so many staircases carved into the rock leading to tunnel after tunnel, all of them twisting and turning, branching off into naturally domed rooms, then becoming narrow again making it near impossible to navigate. It must have been hours that they walked through the stone labyrinth before they stopped in front of a solid metal door, one of many that they had seen. The enormous lock clicked open and the doors slid aside to allow them inside a throne room of sorts.

Massive columns were carved into the solid walls of a room large enough to be an indoor football field. One of the walls naturally sloped further into the room and had been carved into a high platform on which the Guardians sat atop thrones lined up perfectly beside one another. There were no means of getting onto the platform aside from jumping on or off, making the Guardians seem even more intimidating.

Veritas stood when the seven of them entered and Enforcers shut and locked the doors behind them.

“Mencheres, Bones, Spade, Denise, Kira, Reaper. Your presence has been requested to discuss your child, Night Vale,” she said, not bothering with any introduction or small talk; the time of the Guardians was extremely precious and it was rare that they all gathered for any reason. “Since their duel with the deceased Master vampire Ares, controversy has emerged regarding how they should be allowed to live, how their abilities should be wielded, and whether or not you are suitable to raise such a being.”

It stung Chris a bit to be spoken of that way, ze knew that people talked, but ze didn’t think it would get the Law Guardians’ attention. Not to mention that it hurt the tiniest bit to not even be acknowledged, but ze reigned in their emotions and stood just as straight and impassive as zir parents.

“Because of this controversy, there have been Paranaturals that have attacked your homes,” Veritas went on,“Is this true?”

“Yes, there have been four small attempts to exact revenge on Night Vale for Ares’ death, and one large attack by Joseph and hired mercenaries five days ago. Three of our line were killed,” Mencheres answered.

“It does not appear that such attempts on Night Vale’s or your lives will cease in the future if action is not taken. Many Paranaturals believe that they are too powerful to be associated with a single line, least of all yours given how many allies you have and how powerful you are alone.”

Chris prickled at that, afraid of what would come next. Would they be killed? Stripped of their power? Locked up? Veritas had mental shields firmly in place that prevented zir from hearing anything that she didn’t say out loud.

“We Guardians have a proposal for you,” Veritas finished.

“What is it?” Cat asked, speaking up for the first time.

“A compromise may be reached. None of you would ever relinquish your rights as parents, or cut Night Vale off from your line, however, if they continue to grow into their power, more wars will be waged. We are willing to make a one-time exception to an ancient law for your child,” she said, nodding to Chris without taking her eyes off zir parents. “We will declare them an honorary Enforcer if they can survive an initial challenge and abbreviated training process, since, you all have no doubt trained them in fighting for years already. They will no longer be officially of your line, but they will have the privilege of security of Law Guardian protection and their title as an Enforcer.” She looked them all in the eyes. “Do you accept?” There was a hint of challenge in her voice.

It couldn’t be argued that this was an incredible deal. Normally masterless Paranaturals were the lowest of the low, able to be killed or trafficked or anything else without anyone to vouch for them, however, if anyone killed and Enforcer, the Law Guardians could demand that all Paranaturals rally against the Enforcer’s killer. That and Enforcers were required to be at least five hundred years old and undergo decades of training before they are given their title. Chris wanted to scream yes, anything to stop the fighting would make zir happy, even if it meant being locked up for all eternity, but ze had not been addressed directly and therefore had no say; it didn’t matter that in the human world ze was an adult. Human rules didn’t matter here.

The six being addressed looked at one another, silently seeing if one would challenge the idea. Finally, Kira, who was waiting to become an Enforcer herself, stepped forward and bowed to Veritas.

“We accept.”

“Very well.” Veritas turned to Chris. “And do you, Night Vale, accept this responsibility?”

/Anything to keep my family safe, hell, you can kill me if it means no one else has to die./ Ze bowed to her. “I accept.”

Veritas stepped back and sat just as another Guardian stood up. He reminded Chris of Claude Frollo with his thin frame, thinner lips, and pointed nose. He didn’t have as many wrinkles as the famed Disney villain, but the resemblance was undeniable. When he spoke, Chris wanted to laugh. Gods, he sounded like the fictional judge too, his deep, low voice rumbling when he spoke.

“Your first challenge will be here. If you can hold your own against all of the current Enforcers without killing them, your training will begin immediately. It will be twelve months straight and if you choose to turn back at any time, you will not be given this opportunity again.”

Chris nodded. “I understand.” Ze shed zir coat and pulled off the thick pants ze had on over a pair of leggings.

The Guardian, who Mencheres mentally informed Chris was named Leviticus, blew a whistle that screeched and echoed through the entire cave system. It was not ten seconds before three hundred Enforcers, including the guards and doormen, marched into the room. It felt like the entire room had been bathed in pure electricity as they lined up, their backs to Chris and zir parents.

“Permission to make an inquiry, Guardian?” Chris said, politely and blandly, as though ze didn’t have a care in the world.

“Permission granted,” said Leviticus.”

“Am I allowed to use any unique abilities that I may have?” Chris asked, since all of the Enforcers were armed and ze was not.

“It would be most productive and advantageous for us if you make use of as many as possible. We must see what you are capable of if we are to make an informed decision regarding your training should it take place,” he explained, then pointed to Chris’ parents. “You will not interfere, the purpose of this is to see what Night Vale can do. If you do not want to witness the trial, then you may remain outside the door. If you wish to view it, then you may sit at our feet.”

The six paranaturals walked around the Enforcers and leapt onto the platform, each sitting with their legs dangling over the side of it. They all dropped their mental shields at once so they could think at Chris what they couldn’t say. They wished zir luck and proclaimed their pride and love, even though their faces remained completely blank.

“Begin,” Leviticus said, then took his place on his throne.

All three hundred guardians turned in perfect sync, drawing their swords in a single smooth motion. They stared at Chris for a second, before splitting into two groups and forming a circle around zir.

Chris was actually happy that Mencheres had forced zir to meditate, eat, and feed before this, because ze was more full of energy than ze had been in a very long time. Ze let go of the careful reign ze kept on the energy ze contained and zir aura grew and grew like invisible wings until it felt as though lightning would strike exactly where ze stood. This wasn’t for intimidation either, although that was a slight benefit, it was primarily because Chris needed to focus solely on fighting and if ze was trying to tone zir natural energy down, that wouldn’t be possible.

The enforcers all leapt onto Chris at the same time, swords pointed. A few of them pierced zir flesh, but ze didn’t so much as flinch. Earlier in the week, three machine gun belts of silver bullets had been emptied into zir and that didn’t stop zir from fighting on. Ze waited until as many as possible were piled on, before a semi-spherical wave of power blasted them all off zir at once. As they tried to land properly, zir stripped them of their swords and lodged them in the high ceiling. The second wave advanced, moving too fast for human eyes to see. Ze dodged their first slashes, rolling and ducking underneath swords and paranaturals alike before standing up. A couple of feet separated zir from the closest group of Enforcers. That was just enough.

A ring of violet fire burst from the floor, then widened, until the Enforcers had to either burn or step back. Chris mentally summoned a barrier around them all as the flames grew hotter. They had nowhere to run.

More Enforcers than not took that as a challenge and dove through the flames. Chris did not let them ignite since they were supposed to be alive, but zir careful control of the flames showed that ze was skilled with them. One Enforcer hacked off zir arm with a long silver blade as ze fought off another one.

The limb did not shrivel up as a vampire or ghoul’s would. Instead, it melted into what looked like a black, glittering molten metal that slid across the ground and was absorbed through Chris’ clothes and back into zir body. The strange sight was enough to distract the Enforcers that saw it and Chris knocked them hard enough to daze, then threw them against the wall and pinned them there.

More Enforcers piled on, diving through the flames and delivering punishing blows to every inch of Chris’ body. Fangs tore at zir as blades cut into zir clothes. Every chance Chris got, ze sent Enforcers flying into the walls, stripping them of their weapons and piling them past the barrier ze had created. The damage they did was beginning to take its toll once half of them were against the wall, but Chris refused to give up. Ze sent another blast that knocked them all back so ze could pull several silver blades out of zir body and sent the entire floor up in flames. The Enforcers flew at zir then, and ze leapt over them when ze could, grabbing some and swinging them into others, then letting them join the Enforcers against the wall.

Nobody kept track of how long it took for all of the Enforcers to end up weaponless and pinned to the wall, but once they were Chris was quite a sight to see. Zir clothes were shredded and some chunks of hair had to be grown back in addition to a leg that was sliced off by the last Enforcer that got close enough. Chris managed to reattach the limb and straighten up, even if ze was swaying on zir feet the tiniest bit. The entire room was filled with the power that radiated off of the young being to the point that it felt an electrical storm was swirling around zir.

Veritas allowed herself the smallest of smiles as she stood. “You have passed your trial, Night Vale. Your training begins in three days time if you choose to consent.”

Chris knelt down, out of respect, and also because ze felt like ze was about to faint on zir feet. “You have my consent, Guardians. It would be the highest honor to serve you,” ze said, managing to sound dignified.

Ze released zir hold on all of the Enforcers and lowered their weapons to the ground, physically sagging with the energy it took to do so. Not a moment later, ze was swept up into a crushing embrace. When zir parents were through hugging and congratulating zir, they walked zir out of the room and off to the side of one of the tunnels.

Mencheres leaned Chris on him and bared his throat. “You need to feed after that.”

Chris nodded gratefully, all of zir movements had acquired a sluggish, almost drunken quality from expelling so much energy so fast. Ze bit into the side of his neck and drank until zir feet felt solid again. “Father?”

“Yes, my child?” Mencheres said, his voice vibrating with pride and elation even as he swayed slightly on his feet from being drained.

“What did I just sign up for?”


	7. Prized Heir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This scene takes place a year after the previous ones and sets up the end of the prologue. Chris is having to deal with the repercussions of becoming an Enforcer and finally gets to see zir parents again. There is also some foreshadowing, so pay attention to the ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of violence

Twelve months. That was all the training Chris needed. Three-hundred-and-sixty-five days. It was a given that Enforcers were the toughest of the tough. They were the second highest ranking Paranaturals in existence under the Guardians.

Now Chris knew exactly why.

In the last twelve months Chris had been stabbed, shot, skewered, sliced up, tortured, beaten to a pulp, burned, dismembered, skinned, deprived of sleep to the point of hallucinating, deprived of any energy or feeding source, trained in every known fighting style, taught to fight with nearly every weapon used across millennia, and pushed to every single limit ze didn’t know ze had. Even as ze prided zirself on surviving it, since ze knew that most Enforcer trainees die during their training. Ze thanked every single God ze had ever heard of that it was over on the way to Spade’s primary residence.

Chris couldn’t wait to sleep in a real bed and eat real food and feed from a real human, but most of all, ze couldn’t wait to see zir family. Ze hadn’t laid eyes on zir parents in a full year. If ze was being honest, that was one of the hardest parts. Ze was twenty-one now, but ze was still very close to zir parents, even if ze had a couple of homes of zir own, nothing beat spending time with them all.

Tenoch tripped over himself three times in his excitement to get to Chris as soon as ze opened the door. He was a lot larger than he had been the last time ze had seen him. He was now about as big as a Lab, but that didn’t stop him from trying to leap into Chris’ arms. Ze had been carrying boulders and abandoned train cars around for a year, so Tenoch felt lighter than usual. Ze made a beeline for zir bedroom. Ze was in desperate need of a long hot bubble bath and about three straight months of sleep.

Tenoch licked zir face the entire way there and tried to continue even when Chris set him down on the bed. It took everything in zir not to flop onto it. Tenoch joined Chris in the large tub as soon as it was ready and ze dozed off not too long after settling under the hot water.

Chris found it a bit strange that no one had come to check on zir when ze got out of the bath and dried off. Ze had called at the airport before getting driven to Spade’s home, so zir parents knew that ze was home by now. Chris yanked on a pair of sweatpants, almost moaning at how soft they were compared to the scratchy tarp fabric of zir training uniform, and pulled on a shirt, running zir fingers through zir hair. Ze had cut nearly all of it off at the start of training and kept it in a small puff around zir head. Long hair got ratty and hard to maintain when you were running the mud and rain or hiking through blizzards.

Ze was on the way to the kitchen when ze felt a familiar tingle in the air. Ze sprinted through the house toward the source, Tenoch on zir heels with his tail wagging. Ze nearly broke the banquet hall doors in excitement and couldn’t help but grin at the sight that greeted zir.

In addition to Chris’ parents, Ian, Vlad, Annette, Tate, Juan, Tyler, Fabian, Alten, Nathaniel, Tina, and dozen or so others that Chris new fairly well were all waiting. They greeted zir with huge smiles and shouted in unison. “Surprise! Welcome home!”

Chris suddenly was no longer tired or starving. Well, ze was starving, but not for food. Some tiny voice in the back of zir head reminded zir that the last time this many of zir family members had gathered together, three ended up six feet under. Ze silenced it and smiled on.

The lot of them were practically tripping each other to get to zir and crush zir in hugs, patting zir back and gushing about how proud they were. They all spoke over each other even as they ushered zir over to a banquet table that had been set. They sat Chris down at the head of the table and let zir eat a full serving before a barrage of questions from all of them was aimed zir way.

“What was the hardest part?” Denise asked, holding a hot baguette in one hand and a glass of brandy in the other.

Chris considered the question for a moment. Was it swimming for fifty miles? No. Was it being skinned alive? Maybe, but not quite. Was it being turned into a living kabob then set on fire? Not nearly. Perhaps it was being torn limb from limb, or being forced to learn the limit of all of zir powers, or sparring for days straight, or not sleeping? Or perhaps it was the trial where Veritas had thrown zir onto a train track and watched zir get run over by four trains.

“Being away from all of you guys for a year. Nothing was harder than that,” Chris finally decided.

A chorus of “aww’s” sounded before Chris added. “I had so much to tell you all and I couldn’t. Well, that and there were times I really could have used some hugs or advice or something, but I couldn’t have that either.”

Kira and Cat both leapt up at the same time, running to zir and hugging zir tight enough to bruise.

“That sounds terrible, baby. Don’t worry, we’re here now,” Kira said, as if Chris was still five.

Chris hugged both her and Cat just as tight as they hugged zir. “Thank you Mama, and you too, Mom. I really, really missed you guys.. All of you.”

They remained seated at the banquet table long after everyone who needed to eat was full and the food was cold. Once Chris had talked all of their ears off, ze finally asked,” How have you all been? Has anything happened?”

The mood of the room shifted immediately. Mencheres was about to open his mouth and answer when Cat cut him off.

“Oh no you don’t. You’ll take four hours filibustering.” She turned to Chris. “There have been some developments. For one, nobody had tried to start a war with us since we met with the Law Guardians.” She nodded when Chris visibly sagged with relief. “Exactly. Things have actually been semi peaceful,” she continued,"We might have another slight problem though.”

Oh no, nothing was ever small when it came to issues in or outside the family. When something went wrong, it was always catastrophic.

“You have some, uh, how do I put this, suitors who’ve been waiting for you to return?” Cat said, looking to the other five for help on how to phrase things.

“Right you are, Cat,” Spade said, then looked to Chris. “Seems like many of our allies, rivals, and enemies alike are trying a new tactic. Uhm, what’s the phrase?” He tapped his chin.

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Denise said, a little bit of her southern twang coming out.

Spade snapped his fingers. “Yes, precisely. Thank you, darling,” he said, then went on. “You remember when we explained undead courtship to you, Chris?”

Chris nodded. “Yeah, it’s more formal than dating, but without the whole ‘death do us part’ that comes with actual marriage. You’re off limits unless you and your partners break it all up, but nobody has to die, right?” 

“Yes,” Spade said. “You have a fantastic memory, but that’s beside the point. What is happening now is- "

Bones cut Spade off. “You’ve got a line of very powerful people waiting to see if you’ll tie the knot with them,” Bones said, to put it simply. “They’ve been contacting us nonstop asking when you’ll be back and won’t take no for an answer unless it’s from you.”

“What?” This had to be a joke. “Are you kidding me? What do they want?”

“They want you, luv. Unfortunately, there’s no laws that say they can’t ask for you,” Bones said.

“I know there isn’t a law against it. I’m versed in all kinds of law.” Chris scowled and poured zirself a tall glass of cherry vodka. It didn’t matter that ze was incapable of getting drunk, ze would down the whole bottle out of principle. “So what do we have to do about it?”

“Kira had the idea of hosting a party so you can meet them and reject them all in one fell swoop. It would be the fastest.” Spade said. “It’s a smart idea, and no one can attack us.”

“Why not?” Chris asked before draining the glass and refilling it.

“Because we have you, Enforcer.”

 

Chris hated parties with a burning passion. Being around too many people for any amount of time was exhausting and tonight was going to be even more so. Hopefully Chris would be able to end a crisis before it started. The only bright side ze could see was getting to eat and dress up. Ze actually loved wearing fancy clothes.

Tonight was important, so ze got to choose exactly how ze wanted to look and present. Ze would never admit it, but ze got a kick out of presenting in a gender neutral way then watching people squirm as they tried to figure out what zir gender was. Unless they said genderqueer or nonbinary, which they almost never did, they were wrong. Chris grew zir hair out again, thank the Gods for shapeshifting, down to zir lower back and shaved off the entire left side. Ze made it grow purple and red rather than black, then had it braided from root to tip so the braids swung freely with zir every movement. Ze wore a dress that ze had made a little over a year earlier but hadn’t gotten to don at a party yet. It was kind of a dress and kind of not. The front of it had a low neck line with space for zir chest to bulge a little bit, but ze didn’t have a huge amount of curve for this evening in particular, a suit collar and no sleeves, so it was more of a vest than suit jacket or shirt. The fabric was deep navy, almost black, and covered with gold and white crystals that shimmered and sparkled in any light. The top hugged zir waist and stomach tightly, then the back of it fanned out into a graceful skirt with the crystals fading into black near the bottom. The front of the ensemble was a pair of tight pants made of the same fabric as the rest, with the same crystal pattern as the long back. Shiny black heels completed the outfit and made Chris a couple of inches taller than zir normal six feet. Dark eyeliner accompanied gold eyeshadow and blood-red lipstick. Ze looked like the very incarnation of the night sky. Perfect.

Chris settled near the front of the ballroom, hand painted stained glass windows were behind zir and made zir look like royalty as guests filed into the room. Zir parents greeted them, all the while giving zir mental notes and messages as to who they were. There was about an hour of chatting amongst the guests and hosts before the real reason they were all there set in.

Chris organized them into a few categories. Hearing thoughts could be so useful sometimes. Most of them were unable to keep their true intentions out of their minds when they stepped up to speak to Chris. This worked to zir advantage. All of them were there for one of three reasons: power, status, or coveting.

There were some who used their brief time with zir to boast. They didn’t even let Chris get a word in as they preached about their accomplishments and the size of their line, or other things, and highlighted how enormous their egos were.

Others were flattering to the point that it made Chris uncomfortable. They were too agreeable and eager to please, it kind of felt creepy. They swore their undying love for zir right then and there and had to be escorted away by zir parents.

Still others flirted shamelessly. They complimented Chris and boasted not about achievements in war, but in a more private area. They promised to sweep Chris off zir feet and straight into bed. Chris didn’t mind casual sex, but these people wanted to slide a ring onto zir finger and there was no way ze was ready for that.

There were dozens of them. By the time the night was over and the ballroom was finally cleared out, Chris was in a deeply sour mood. Ze couldn’t place exactly why, though. It could have been the long night, or the fact that they were all gorgeous and ze couldn’t get near any of them, or the sheer number of times ze had been misgendered after explaining a million times how to address zir, or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was had Chris scowling as zir parents gathered together in a sitting room.

“How are you doing, sweetie? You look like you need a drink,” Denise said as she sat.

Chris flopped onto the antique couch. “I feel like shit and I don’t know why..,” ze said, looking into zir lap. “I looked amazing and had a literal line out to door of people fawning over me, but I can’t remember the last time I was this..," ze couldn’t find the word,“I just..I feel..”

“Worthless?” Mencheres finished the sentence and earned five pairs of glaring eyes.

“You aren’t worthless, darling, I don’t know what he means by that,” Spade said.

Mencheres raised a brow. “I will clarify if you would permit me.”

“Yes, please. Because you’re right,” Chris said, twisting zir fingers around in zir lap.

“These people that were here, none of them actually care for you, Chinoe. You know this. Surely you can hear it in their thoughts and see it in how they behave. None of them want you,” Mencheres said, his tone and face were melancholy. “I understand the feeling. They want your power, or connections, or money, or body, but none of them want you completely.”

Chris could only nod slowly. Ze felt like ze would sob if ze tried to speak.

“That is how I felt all of my life. Only the six of you have been the exception to that. I am eternally thankful for it. May I ask, Chinoe. Do you know that we all love you?” He sounded almost heartbroken at having to even ask such a question.

That brought Chris’ head up. “Yes.” No hesitation at all. “Yes, I know for a fact that you all love me very much, I just, I see all of you and you’re so in love with each other and it looks so wonderful, but I feel like I’m never going to have that..”

“Don’t worry, sweetie. There’s somebody out there for everybody. Be patient and someone will come your way,” Denise assured zir.

That night, just before ze closed zir eyes to fall asleep, ze left zir room. Ze was beneath a night sky with a full moon shining down on zir. The air was frigid and there was snow all over the ground. Ze was in a massive room filled with strange an unfamiliar objects. Ze had something smooth and round clutched to zir chest and when ze looked to the ground again, something black was spinning on it. A massive column of purple smoke rose out of it before everything went dark.


	8. Hello Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jefferson is back in this scene! It takes place about a month after the previous one and concludes the arc of the prologue. There may be a spark between the two of them already, but it is up to them both to decide what happens with it. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Paranaturals were legendary. They were powerful and strong. Creatures of the night that felt at home in pure darkness.

They also turned out to be stubborn and incapable of taking no for an answer when they wanted something.

Chris had just hosted a party for the many suitors that wanted to tie the knot with zir but, proposals and requests to meet zir had not stopped. With Chris now being out of training and present in the world, even if it was in school and not at home, there seemed to be no reason for the many paranaturals that wanted something from zir to wait. They somehow got ahold of Chris’ private information and contacted zir in every way possible. Ze had actually gotten letters. As in paper mail with fancy envelopes.

Ze trashed the letters and never wrote back, deleted emails and messages, and changed zir phone number. Nothing stopped the harassment.

By December, Chris’s entire disposition had changed. Ze was constantly irritated and upset. Didn’t these idiots understand that no meant no? No matter what it seemed like Chris couldn’t catch a fucking break.

Classes kept zir busy, however, and left very little time for anything aside from studying and doing homework. Ze actually settled into a routine and did zir best to not pay the suitors any mind.

That didn’t work out very well.

Slowly but surely, paranaturals began to seek zir out, finding zir in public places until Chris just didn’t feel secure anymore. It was only a matter of time before some of them turned up on zir doorstep.

A week after the first ghoul had approached zir on the way to a seminar ze was attending for school, Chris called zir parents and told them that the pestering had only gotten worse and something had to be done. It was stressing zir out and affecting the rest of zir life.

They finally decided to see if anyone in their lines were possibly suitable. They had some of their people contact Chris and let zir talk to them, but most were not a good enough fit to make zir comfortable. In fact, all of them were complete strangers. The only other option that seemed available was to have someone closer court zir. The problem with that was those paranaturals had special relationships with Chris already. Ze saw most of these men and women as uncles and aunts.

It was three more weeks of irritation before Chris got the call ze was waiting for. Bones and Mencheres had found a more suitable person to pair Chris with until they could figure out a more permanent solution. That Friday night, ze drove to Bones’ penthouse in New York City to meet the person.

 

“Do you think he isn’t coming?” Kira asked, her legs crossed as she sat on the couch in the contemporarily decorated living room.

“I would hope he isn’t,” Spade murmured, idly flipping the tv channels.

“Unless you have a better idea, Charles, I suggest you get used to it. It won’t mean anything unless the two of them decide it does,” Bones said, sipping from a glass of whiskey.

“This just seems so wrong..” Cat was pacing by the chair Chris was sitting in. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” she asked zir.

Chris shrugged and slid zir headphones off zir ears and around zir neck. “I mean, I don’t have much of a choice, do I? This is the easiest thing to do. And I am not dating Uncle Ian, not matter how many times he suggests it.” Zir fingers never paused in their tapping on the keyboard of zir laptop. “Besides, Papa hates the idea of dating humans and Father brought up some pretty decent points against them too so there’s that..”

“I don’t say it because I hate humans, it’s just that they’re so fragile,” Spade said in his defense before Denise could glare daggers at him. Even though she was part demon, she was the most human out of all of them.

“I know. And Father was right about this world being hard to get used to. Mama said the same thing. I would hate to destroy someone’s version of reality just because I’m lonely,” ze said, eyes darting around the screen in front of zir.

Mencheres was about to add his commentary when there was a knock at the door.

“Oh! I’ll get it!” Denise sprang up and walked to the door, Tenoch following behind her ready to bark at whoever was behind the door. She opened it as the other five joined her in the front room.

“So sorry I’m late, I got caught up somewhere and lost track of time,” said the visitor.

“That is nothing to be anxious over. Please, come in,” Mencheres said,“You understand your purpose here?”

“Oh yeah. I still think it’s strange that so many people are trying to court a child, though. It’s been a couple of years since I saw your kid,” he said, following them to the living room.

“It’s been a lot more than that, mate,” Bones said, shaking his head. “You’re really that far gone?”

“What? It’s been five or so years, right?”

“Try sixteen,” Bones said. “Chris is all grown up now. They turned twenty-one a few months ago.”

“You’re kidding me. I was away for that long? Gods, I hate conflicting timelines.” The suitor walked into the living room and stopped when he saw Chris sitting.

All grown up indeed. The child Jefferson had babysat was gone, replaced by a true picture of beauty. Zir hair was brightly colored and hung in bouncy curls down into zir lap on the right side. There was no hair on the left side. Zir dark skin was a stunning contrast with the pastel blue shirt ze has buttoned up as high as zir generous chest would allow. Even with zir curving figure, however, a light dusting of hair grew along zir jaw and chin. Zir features were androgynous and quite alluring. Deep green eyes flicked up and regarded Jefferson carefully before ze closed zir laptop and stood. Ze was tall, maybe an inch or so taller than him. Gods, he could only imagine what ze thought of him with how he looked that night.

His hair was a dark mess of half-curls and half-straightened pieces. Smeared eye shadow and liner made his bright eyes stand out even more and he had quite a bit of his gold-tinted skin exposed. His tight pants were leather in the front and denim in the back, hugging his legs like a second skin. Leather ankle boots with several buckles covered his feet and the black hoodie he had on was sleeveless, with the seams frayed to look like the sleeves had been torn off. The low neckline also showed off the black feathers tattooed on his neck that wrapped around from his back to splay around his neck and touch his collarbone. Add his many piercings and rings and he was the perfect picture of a club-hopping junkie. Not that he wasn’t, but even in casual wear Chris was perfectly refined. It was probably the influence of zir parents.

“Jefferson?” Even zir voice was voice was different. Of course it was. It was lower, deeper, with a lovely smooth quality that was pleasant even with the resonating authority that ze gave off. Normally only a Master would be so commanding with their presence, but ze was an Enforcer and that earned zir a lot of respect.

Jefferson smiled, his teeth glittering. “Chris! It’s been too long!” He closed the space between them and pulled zir into a hug. Had ze smelled this good the last time they had seen each other? Ze smelled like spices and dark nights in the middle of open fields.

Ze hugged him back, but it was a light embrace. Chris was being polite, not chummy. “You don’t look too different,” ze said as he pulled back.

Jefferson ran a hand through his spiky hair. “I would say the same to you, but I honestly doubt you’re the same person I read Alice in Wonderland to.”

That made Chris smile the smallest bit. “I remember that, you were so animated. It was quite entertaining, I must admit.” 

“Well you’re still just as articulate. What have I missed?” Jefferson said as he flopped onto the couch, swiping Bones’ whiskey bottle off of the chrome coffee table and tipping it back.

“A lot, actually, but I don’t think we’re here to catch up.” Dammit, Chris had to get a grip. This was practically a business meeting, even if Jefferson looked like he just stepped away from a mirror covered in lines of cocaine, he was there for a formal reason. It didn’t matter how nice his legs were or that his arms had to have gotten more muscular in the time that he’d been away. Or that the mischievous glint in his eyes was enough to make Chris want to follow him to whatever awful places he frequented. Ze could smell dozens of people on him. He was probably allergic to commitment. He was just here to do Mencheres a favor. This meant nothing to him.

“Are you sure you’re alright with going through with this, mate?” Bones asked. “We don’t have a backup plan at the moment.”

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. “You think I have a reason with being called the boyfriend of an actual God?” He looked to Chris. “Or would you prefer Goddess?”

Chris chuckled despite zirself. “Goddex is the gender neutral term.”

“Goddex it is, then.” He said. “But yeah, I’m more than fine with this if Chris is.”

Chris shrugged. “I don’t really have another option.” Set boundaries now. This doesn’t mean anything. “You don’t have to be tied down if you don’t want to.

“Eh, why not. If it makes things easier for you guys, than I’m in,” Jefferson said, standing up. He walked to Chris and put out his hand.

Chris stood and took it, shaking it as ze felt a suspicious lack of energy coming from him. Were zir parents really setting zir up with a young vampire? It didn’t make sense. Then again, this was far better than dating zir uncle or a complete and total stranger. Ze would just have to be seen in public with him every once in a while. This would be over soon. This didn’t mean anything.


	9. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is the actual first chapter to Vengeful Ghosts. It takes place a little while after the last prologue chapter and gets the ball rolling with Chris and Jefferson dating as well as the conflict.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: misgendering, death mention

Chris took care in lining zir eyes with liquid gold liner even as ze wanted to bolt zir bedroom door shut and never emerge. Ze seemed to be going to more and more awful parties the older ze got.

Ze had just turned twenty-two in August and was well on zir way to officially becoming a well-rounded scholar in addition to zir Enforcer title when zir father Mencheres received an invitation to a party hosted by a long time rival Ezra. She had been the best friend of his ex-wife Patra for millennia and since the passing of said former wife, the two of them had not gotten along very well. However, etiquette stated that it would be extremely rude for him and his spouses to turn down the invitation, especially since it was a rival. To outsiders, the invite could be seen as an olive branch.

This meant that instead of getting to organize zir school supplies, Chris had been busy choosing an outfit and going to spas and a salon the day of the party. It was about an hour before dusk when the seven of them got into the stretch limo that would drive them there.

“Hopefully we’ll get some drinks out of this at least,” Cat sighed,“I’ve got a bad feeling about tonight.”

The rest of them murmured their agreement and sat back for the hour long ride to Ezra’s.

 

Chris fixed zir mask in place and stepped out of the limousine last. Ze glided into the front hall behind zir parents and quickly scanned the room, searching for any potential threats. No auras were hostile and so far, nobody had thought the words ‘murder’ or ‘bomb’ or ‘I’m definitely here to kill everyone’ so ze would have to wait longer and see who had ulterior motives. Someone walked up behind zir and ze turned to see them bowing. At least he cleaned up.

Jefferson, Chris’s arranged boyfriend, straightened with a smile. Half of his face was covered by a white mask and his dark hair was slicked black in an elegant swath. He had to be fucking kidding. Underneath the billowing black cape he had on, was a black tailcoat with a red vest underneath it. A black shirt, black scarf, and matching black shoes and pants completed the iconic ensemble.

“My angel of music, did you find your way here alright?” he asked, taking Chris’ hand in his gloved one and pressing a kiss to the back of it.

This was ridiculous. Chris was dressed a bit out of character, but this was a masquerade ball so it was appropriate. Zir dress was completely pink, with pastel ruffles across zir shoulders atop the corset that curved into the large skirt of the gown. The front was solid pink silk held up by a cage underneath while the back gathered into two large round bunches of fabric lined with bouquets of fake pink roses. The short train dragged along the floor behind zir as ze was led further into the hall. Add that to zir hair being black again and covering the entirety of zir head with white gloves and a delicate comb keeping zir hair in its dainty style and ze looked like ze wouldn’t hurt a fly.

“As a matter of fact, I did, Phantom,” ze said, letting Jefferson twirl zir then pull zir against him. Despite knowing that their arrangement was strictly for show, Chris couldn’t stop zir stomach from leaping into zir throat at him being so close. Why was this still so difficult?

A year earlier, Chris was being hounded by suitors who wanted to marry zir for one superficial reason or another. Eventually, zir parents decided that courting Jefferson was the best way to get them to stop. It seemed simple enough at first, but nothing in Chris’ life was ever simple.

It turned out that Jefferson was infamous for a myriad of reasons. Where did one even begin with him. He was a known thief who leapt in and out of worlds using a portal tied to a particular object that earned him a nickname: The Mad Hatter. For an absurdly high fee, he could procure items, people, or transport employers to other worlds. No one was sure how old he was or for how long he had been doing such work. All that was certain in regard to his origins was his sire being Mencheres. As if thieving wasn’t enough, he was also notorious for sleeping around. Hell, his line almost turned upside down when they heard that he was courting someone given that he seemed to be severely allergic to commitment.

Chris had learned on zir own that his nickname was not entirely wrong when it came to other aspects of him; he had a terribly addictive personality in addition to other issues that Chris could place just by spending small amounts of time with him; and that was all they did. Around once or twice a month, they would get together, dress up, and go out somewhere public where they would be seen together. Aside from that, they didn’t speak too much. After about two months of that, Jefferson resumed his usual promiscuous pattern and Chris began meeting people in school more often, opting to go on dates here and there with humans. None of the relationships would become serious, but ze could at least try. His pattern of behavior spoke loud and clear; he was not interested in being anything but a player.

“You look stunning,” he said, so low it was almost a purr. That brought Chris back to reality. They were supposed to look like a happy couple even if news traveled fast and most Paranaturals knew that the two of them did not get along.

“So do you. I wasn’t going to wear this at first, actually. I had another costume in mind,” ze said, falling into step with him as they waltzed through the hall.

“What was it? I’m sure anything would look gorgeous on you.” His lips curled in a smirk. Damn him for being so charming. He was this way with everyone, so surely nothing he said was sincere.

“I was going to dress up as a sunset, but my favorite musical won out. Looks like you got the memo.” What was he thinking? Chris could hear the thoughts of almost all Paranaturals, but for some reason ze couldn’t ever hear his. It made zir uneasy. What if he was just biding time to stab Mencheres in the back? Or trying to coerce zir into marriage like everyone else? What if he hated zir and ze didn’t even know?

“Great minds think alike, don’t they? I didn’t think that a Prince Charming costume would suit me well unfortunately, so pardon Raoul being away.” He spun zir again and pressed them closer together. Was he wearing cherry lip gloss?

Chris was dipped down and his lips captured zirs in one smooth motion. At first ze felt butterflies and tightened zir grip on his shoulders when pleasant shivers followed. Then ze remembered that they were in the middle of the dance floor and all eyes would be on them. The kiss was a strategic move. He was more clever than he seemed. He was also not interested in Chris past doing zir father a favor.

When he drew Chris up again, gloved hands running up zir back, flecks of green had appeared in his eyes. It could mean a few things, anger, intense emotion, or of course, arousal. Again, that had to be there just to look convincing. Right?

 

“Father, what’s going on?” Chris had been about to bolt from the dance floor anyway and get some air when Mencheres glided in and swept zir away from Jefferson. Ze was dying to thank him for it, but that would have appeared strange given the charade ze was keeping up with the thieving vampire.

“We are wanted upstairs.” Was his curt answer as he walked up the grand staircase that led to the second floor.

If the situation didn’t seem so dire, Chris would have taken time to appreciate the opulent decorations of the house, or perhaps the fact that almost everything was gilded and shiny. Mencheres pulled zir into the first sitting room down the left hallway. The energy inside announced that two old Master vampires were inside.

You’ve got to be shitting me, Chris thought. Zir face remained as unreadable as zir father’s but it was taking all of zir willpower to keep it that way. Ezra was sitting with her legs crossed on a chair that looked like it belonged in a museum with its intricate wooden design and gold-threaded cushions. Her dark skin, a shade or two lighter than zir own, was in stark contrast with the glittering gold dress she wore, its color matching her long flowing hair and bright eyes. As eye-catching as she was, however, she was not the person that made Chris want to turn over a table and rip zir dress off so ze would be ready to fight.

Chris had thought Mencheres was exaggerating when he’d told zir that his uncle Radjedef looked just like him.

They had the same honey complexion and clear skin, the same hawkish nose, even the same long black hair. Radjedef had thinner eyes and some lines that suggested that he frowned far more often than he smiled, however. His hair was braided back in a style that was still masculine, and he wore a dark robe as opposed to the white silk and linen one donned by Mencheres. The energy he gave off was appropriate for his age, but seemed to be inherently malicious. He felt like pure evil incarnate as he smiled at Mencheres and Chris.

“Radje. I didn’t expect to see you ever again,” Mencheres said, his face an impenetrable mask, though his voice revealed that he was furious. Beneath that, Chris could feel terror creeping up his spine. That was not good. Nothing scared Mencheres. This was a lot more serious than ze thought.

“It appears that getting rid of me is beyond even your reach, Menkaure. Be assured that the ferry of Duat will not be returning empty. One of you-,“ he pointed a tapered finger at both of them,“Will be taking my place in the Underworld.”

“How have you returned to this world?” Mencheres demanded, stepping to the side so he could be closer to Chris.

“I bargained with the ferryman. I bided my time and was granted a second chance to obtain the power that has been rightfully mine for over four thousand years. You and your child wield power that belongs to me. Our sire was blinded by poor judgement when he passed it to you. I am here to fix his mistake. Permanently.” His smug smile stayed as he began to close the space between them. “Relinquish your stolen gifts to me now and I will let your family live.”

“Are you threatening an Enforcer?” Chris said before Mencheres could move to silence zir.

That made the ancient vampire’s smile falter. “You? Enforcers must be five centuries old at the very least. You are barely an adult to humans, insolent little girl.”

“That would normally be the case, but the Law Guardians made an exception for me. I received one year of training and passed.” Ze closed the space between them until only a foot remained between the two and tugged down the shoulder of zir dress. A shield carved out of human bones with a pair of curving twin blades crossed in front of it were depicted with a full moon backing them all in red ink on zir skin. Ze felt a bit of satisfaction at seeing the surprise on his face. “I know you used to be a Law Guardian, but you died. You don’t have a title higher than any other vampire anymore.”

Radjedef scowled. “That may be true, but I have my ways. Surrender now or you will deeply regret it later on. Are you really willing to sacrifice your family for your pride?” Open challenge was in his voice and his smirk returned.

“No I’m not.” Chris squared zir shoulders and recalled how many times Mencheres had said it made zir look just like Kira. “Because this isn’t about pride. This is about you being entitled and immature. You will never see an ounce of power from me or any of my parents. You don’t deserve it.” Ze was practically daring him to make a move, and ze could feel shock and worry in the back of zir mind. Mencheres did not like how this was turning out.

“You think that you can stand against my forces and win? You are a child, barely a woman. I could destroy you in seconds.” Radjedef growled, puffing up in his anger to look taller.

“Then why don’t you? Kill me right now if you think you can. You know the law is against you. You can’t touch me,” ze said, then turned on zir heel. “I think the party is over, father. Shall we go?”

Mencheres was all too eager to walk back through the door.

Chris was about to step through when ze stopped and looked over zir shoulder at Radjedef who was frozen in his fury.

“One more thing, Radje. I’m not a girl.”


	10. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezra is back in this chapter and it looks like a serious rift is forming between Jefferson and Chris because of her. Things will be picking up very soon with this plot she and Radjedef have hatched.

“Is that a Harley?” Chris stepped out the front door of the building where ze was renting out a top floor penthouse and crossed the sidewalk to where Jefferson was sitting on a motorcycle. It looked more like it was for cruising than speed, but ze knew he could gun it and weave effortlessly through traffic anyway.

“It most certainly is,” he said, his smile and that awful, mischievous glint in his eyes visible due to his lack of a helmet. “If you’re concerned about safety, I brought you a helmet, but there’s no way in hell I’ll ever wear one.”

Chris shook zir head. “Nah, I’m fine without it.” Don’t stare at him. He’s not wearing a shirt under that leather jacket on purpose. Do not give him the satisfaction of gawking. “So where are we going?” ze asked as ze swung up a leg and sat on the seat behind him.

“You’re going to love it. It’s completely exclusive.” He turned the key and revved up the bike. “Make sure you hold on tight, I would hate to ruin that outfit you picked out. Grey looks good on you.”

He was referencing the dark grey button up ze had over a tight black t-shirt. It was tucked into a pair of lighter grey pants and completed with a studded black belt. Chris thought the outfit would suffice for a night club without being too showy. Showy like Jefferson, who had on a black leather jacket with a studded collar and skin tight leather pants. Aside from that and his buckled boots, he had nothing else on. 

“Do I get to know the name of the place or no?” Chris was forced to wrap zir arms around him when he drove off and sped right into traffic. He swerved between cars and took sharp turns down street after street, working the handles with expert precision until they were deep in a neighborhood that Chris only knew from murder and gang activity reports. He pulled up to an old, completely derelict church that looked more haunted than appropriate for a night of partying. The church’s outer appearance couldn’t hide the frequenters of the services it offered, however. Chris could feel the energy buzzing in the air of the church from more than a block away.

“I know it doesn’t look like much but trust me, this place is awesome.” He put down the bike’s kickstand and stepped onto the sidewalk. “The humans who go are total groupies. Some even dress up as vampires for fun. It’s hilarious.” His boyish grin made him look so young. According to the aura he gave off he actually was, too. Mencheres said that before Kira he hadn’t changed a vampire in a century. Maybe Jefferson was that last vampire.

“So it’s a goth place?” Chris asked, walking toward the church with him.

“Yeah, kinda.” He pushed the unhinged wooden doors aside and ducked under a fallen beam. Everything inside, including the few pews that remained, was covered in dust. Cobwebs clung to almost every surface and there was a faint dusting of ash in some corners that suggested a fire may have taken place. If the church had anything of value before, it was all gone now and only rotting wood remained. Jefferson walked to a corner where he stomped twice on the ground then said in a clear voice. “Volturi.”

Really? Twilight references? This was so stupid Chris couldn’t believe ze was actually wasting zir time doing this when ze could be organizing zir penthouse or editing papers or anything but stepping down into a trap door in an abandoned church in a shitty neighborhood. Why couldn’t Jefferson be normal and take zir to a Legal Sea Foods or some shit?

The thing that surprised Chris more than anything was the quality soundproofing of the place. The club’s music hit zir like a splash and the drum kit beats pounded in zir ears. Outside the church ze had to listen closely in order to hear the dull thrum of bass under the ground. Inside it was loud enough to be almost overwhelming. There were far more Paranaturals than humans and all kinds were present. Vampires, ghouls, shifters, faeries, and more all mingled among the humans, dancing in a mass of jumping and writhing bodies. Colored strobe lights and excessive amounts of alcohol and glitter made pure debauchery the norm within the thick concrete walls.

Jefferson took zir hand and pulled zir into the center of the action on the dance floor where there was barely enough room to move. He practically glued himself to Chris’ back, their similar heights making it easier for their bodies to mold together. His hands on Chris’ sides had zir moving in time with him as they swayed to the pumping music.

At least the DJ is decent.. Chris had taken dance lessons and participated in dance teams since ze was tiny, so soon enough ze was moving all on zir own. That seemed to attract some attention too because a human girl sidled up to them, icy blue eyes glossy with intoxication locked with Chris’.

She slid her hands up zir chest and around zir neck. “Hey boy, I haven’t seen you around here before.” Ecstasy. It was one hell of a drug. She reeked of shots and different people as well. So these were the people Jefferson spent most of his time with.

Not a boy.. Chris gave her a small smile. Maybe if ze played the ‘strong and silent type’ she wouldn’t ask questions. “You sure about that?”

When Chris side stepped, she took the opportunity to slide zir leg between hers. “I know I’d remember you. I’ve never seen hair like yours before.”

Liar. Chris’ long hair was straightened and combed back on one side. The top of zir head was dyed red that bled into violet. Half of zir face was covered by red locks that ze left out of zir ponytail. The style wasn’t all that outlandish, especially in this place. Ze had been there for five minutes and had already seen a rainbow mohawk.

“Who’s your new friend?” Jefferson whispered in Chris’ ear and ze could practically hear his smirk as he rested his head on Chris’ shoulder.

The girl looked up and her eyes went wide when she saw Jefferson. “Dionysus!” She squealed, her voice high and piercing. “I haven’t seen you in a month, oh my god!”

“Candy, right? I’ve missed you, darling.” Jefferson released Chris in favor of letting the short girl yank him into a kiss that had Chris rolling zir eyes and turning away.

As if the kiss wasn’t enough, Candy took full advantage of the crowd, hooking a leg up around one of Jefferson’s and rocking against him to the beat of the music. She was practically dry humping him and he only encouraged her with how low his hands were wandering.

Chris gritted zir teeth and muttered something about needing a drink before weaving through the throngs of dancing people to where ze had caught a glimpse of a seating area. Hopefully it was a bar. Chris couldn’t get drunk but that didn’t mean ze wasn’t in the mood to try.

Fourteen shots, two expensive fruity drinks, and a full bottle of wine later, Chris hadn’t moved from zir seat at the bar.

The bartender was naturally short, but his platform shoes made him a little more than average height. His hair was dyed green and spiked up. That combined with his cyber goth clothes made him fit in perfectly with his customers.

A little over a dozen people, both alive and not, had approached zir, asking if ze wanted drinks, dances, or any amount of the recreational drugs they had available. Chris turned most of them down, green-eyeing some of the more persistent humans to find somebody else to bother. Ze didn’t even understand why ze was in such a bitter mood. Honestly, with Jefferson’s reputation and charming disposition, what was ze supposed to expect? He was as far from a saint as one could be, even if he did have moments where he broke character and indulged Chris’ philosophical and intellectual tendencies with rousing conversation or trips to historical locations, it didn’t seem like he would ever prefer it over his current lecherous lifestyle. He didn’t care about Chris beyond fulfilling a mandate. As soon as Mencheres released him, he would be gone regardless of what Chris wanted. Just the thought made Chris sick, with anger or disappointment or something else, ze couldn’t tell. And ze did not want to find out.

“You know what? Give me two more cherry bombs and a purple hooter,” Chris said, not bothering to look up when ze felt somebody approaching zir. It was probably another random horny vampire that ze was not in the mood to fucking deal with right now.

“Why’d you leave me on the dance floor? I missed you.” Jefferson grabbed zir shoulders and slid his hands down zir arms, leaning on zir as he looked to the bartender. “I’ll have twice as much of whatever they’re having,” he said, probably flashing him a dazzling smile.

Chris resisted the urge to knock him off zir. “Clearly you were busy. I didn’t want to break you and your girlfriend up.” Chris said, managing to sound indifferent.

Jefferson snorted and pulled the nearest bar stool right next to Chris’. Bastard had no respect for personal space. “Girlfriend? No, you’ve got it all wrong. I don’t date one night stands.”

Chris knocked back the first cherry bomb before it touched the bar surface. “That’s news..,” ze said. “Where’d she go, anyway? I thought you two hit it off.”

Jefferson shrugged, leaning on the bar. “She needed a line and her dealer was here, so she left.” Damn him, even with the colored strobe lighting his skin was flawless in a way only a paranatural’s could be.

Chris had finished the two remaining shots in the time it took him to speak. “So what do you want to do now?”

“I have a few ideas.” His eyes raked over Chris, the heat in them was tangible. He leaned the slightest bit forward, his red lips curling. “How does another dance sound to you?”

Absolutely horrible.. Chris shrugged. “Whatever you want is fine with me.” Ze was not in the mood to indulge him after seeing him with Candy, so ze didn’t return his infuriating smirk.

That made him pout. Gods, he looked young when he did that. He couldn’t have been older than Chris when Mencheres turned him. “Aw come on, you’re no fun. How about I show you the lounge, then?”

Why? So you can try and talk me into an orgy? “Sure, why not.” Chris slid two shots that the bartender had set down for him and drank them before slapping a hundred dollar bill on the bar. “Lead the way.”

The lounge was better than the dance floor in that it was slightly quieter and far less crowded. Some seating areas were closed off by red velvet curtains and it was not all that difficult to decipher the sounds coming from behind them. Jefferson was tugging Chris along by zir hand to the end of the hall, passing a few more seating areas before he came to a door that looked straight out of a medieval castle’s dungeon. The contrast of the dark grey metal, bolts, and bars with the rest of the hall, which was painted black and had a red carpet floor bothered Chris to no end. The two styles clashed way too much.

There was a strong tingle of energy inside that suggested several Paranaturals were inside, as well as a few audible heartbeats that announced humans as being present inside as well.

Jefferson tapped the door twice then waited.

Chris’ blood ran cold when ze heard a woman’s voice call out. “Who is it?”

“Ezra, it’s barely been two weeks and you’ve forgotten me already?” Jefferson said, shaking his head as the door opened to reveal the woman Chris had seen with zir great uncle two weeks earlier. Her gold eyes glittered in the purple and pink lighting of the lounge she occupied.

“Dionysus.” She caressed each syllable in a way that made Chris wonder how she would look with a broken nose. “I could never dare forget you, please come in.” She stepped to the side, her sparkling gold dress making her look like an angel against the colors around her. Did she ever wear anything but gold?

Chris was about to follow him when she turned to zir, a smile on her face. Chris would have to have been blind to not know it was completely fake.

“Night Vale, child of Mencheres, am I correct?” she asked, though she very well knew the answer.

“Yes. Aren’t you going to let me in?” Chris didn’t need to know how she and Jefferson knew each other. Ze didn’t want to know how many times he’d had his smug fucking face clamped between her legs. All Chris wanted was to fucking leave but it would be rude to ditch the person ze was supposed to be dating, especially with other Paranaturals present. They would read into it and cause problems, and that was the absolute last thing Chris needed right now.

“What brings you here with my dear Dionysus?” There was that name again. Was he really called that? Chris had heard him being called that in other places like this that he had dragged zir too, but ze had also heard him called ‘Hatter’ in addition to what Chris assumed was his real name.

“We wanted to go out. Is there something wrong with that?” Ze was being way too defensive. So what if he had slept with most of the adult population of Earth? Why should it matter?

Ezra tilted her head at that. “In a sour mood, aren’t we? How about you loosen up with a few more drinks before you join us. I’m sure you won’t mind me stealing him from you for a few fleeting moments?” It was an open challenge.

It was also a challenge that Chris was not willing to accept. For fuck’s sake, there was a private bar in the lounge right behind her. It was too clear that she was just trying to get rid of zir. And you know what? Ze was glad to turn heel and walk back down the hall.

At least until she shut and locked the door. By then, Chris was almost at the staircase leading back up to the dance floor. In a flash, ze was inside the curtained off seating area nearest the lounge. The couple inside vacated the semi-circular black couch with a flash of zir emerald eyes and left zir to listen in. Ze drew the waves of energy that naturally rolled of zir back into zir body, rendering zir undetectable by other paranaturals. 

“I didn’t think you would be here,” Jefferson said, his tone was happy, devoid of any real shock or disappointment as Chris hoped it would be.

“I heard you would be in the neighborhood. Think of it as a pleasant surprise I wanted you to have.” It didn’t matter what Ezra said, with her silky voice everything sounded good. She could be the greatest phone sex operator ever if she decided to be.

“Is there a reason you did not allow my promised to enter? You know that is terribly rude.” He sounded almost like he was joking with her. It made Chris fume. Of course he thought this was funny. Everything was fucking funny to him.

“They didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to sit with us. That and I also wanted to speak with you.” She was probably sitting in his lap by now, stroking his cheek or running her hands over his bare chest.

Chris found zirself leaning on the wall as he replied. “About what? I have an apartment if you want to meet there.” His voice was still light, though its earlier hint of humor was gone.

“No, that would not be suitable. With the music upstairs and my guards, no one will hear or be able to enter.” Was she really betting that Chris hated him so much that ze would blindly stalk off that easily? She didn’t think ze would even try to find out what was going on?

She continued when he said nothing. “I have a proposal for you.”

“I’m listening.” Of course he was, the greedy bastard.

“You know that Radjedef has returned from far beyond the grave, yes?” That made Chris straighten up immediately. If ze had a working heart it would have been racing. What could Jefferson possibly want with her and zir great uncle?

“I do.”

“Then you must know that he intends to wage war on Mencheres. It would be magnificent if you joined us as my ally. We have a long history you and I, and I would overjoyed to have you with me when we finally pay him back for the crimes he has committed against so many of us. You of all people must know that his true nature is to be calloused and uncaring. All he has ever wanted is power and he has destroyed far too many in his quest for it.” Her enthusiasm was controlled, but it was nonetheless undoubtedly present.

“Ezra, my love, as much as I want to repay you for the many gifts you have bestowed upon me, I am afraid I cannot betray my sire. What you say about him may be true, but you also know that I owe him my life. And even if I did not, the risk it would pose to my people would be unprecedented. You are aware that his child is an Enforcer. If you are not careful, paranaturals as a whole could turn against you and that is the last thing I want.” He sounded so gentle, like he was letting down a true loved one. “I support your fight for justice, but I cannot join you. I am sorry.”

Chris didn’t hear anything after that. Pure anger surged through zir so strongly that ze almost passed out from the effort it took to contain it. Ze wanted to blast them both to pieces and burn the entire city to the ground and ze could feel zir powers begging zir to just let go. To annihilate them like ze wanted to, but zir unbearable training from just over a year prior won out. Ze had no idea how long it took for zir to calm down, but eventually, ze stopped seeing red and was able to think again.

There was no fucking way ze was going to sit in a room with the those heartless, manipulative, malicious pieces of shit, so ze flicked zir thumb and set off the fire sprinklers with a tiny flame. However many people that had gotten their nights ruined by it could go to hell as far as Chris was concerned.

When ze had to press against Jefferson’s back as he bulleted the both of them, still damp from the sprinklers, to Chris’ apartment, zir skin burned and hands craved far too much to tear into his skin and rip him to pieces for being so cold-blooded.


	11. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This short filler chapter shows Chris on zir own (except for zir dog, Tenoch) and after that club conversation, ze has a whole lot of questions. A call from Veritas is what really gets the ball rolling.

Thank the Gods Chris had an entire floor to zirself, otherwise the door of zir penthouse slamming may have disturbed some neighbors. A series of quick pattering sounds approached as Chris kicked zir shoes off into the wall, then stomped into the living room.

Tenoch bounded to his owner, fluffy tail wagging wildly as he chased after Chris who was pacing back and forth across the dark brown rug on the floor. He pounced a couple of times on zir feet then resorted to yapping until Chris picked him up.

“Sorry for ignoring you, marshmallow, but I’m in a bad mood,” Chris cooed the extreme understatement with a smile. “And all our Daddies are away so we can’t even call them and say what’s wrong,” ze continued, holding Tenoch against zir chest and rubbing his back. “Looks like I was right about all the bad stuff with Jeff and now he’s gonna be in big trouble, right sweetie?”

Tenoch stared at Chris with wide eyes for a moment, perhaps to show his vague understanding, then began to lap at Chris’ chin.

Chris went on, still rubbing the dog’s back. “Turns out he was just as bad as I thought, but he didn’t do anything against the law.” Chris kissed zir teeth. “I technically can’t arrest him for that..I’ll have to wait for him to mess up.” Ze mused, then pulled zir phone out of zir pocket and dialed Denise’s number with one hand. Ze held the phone up to zir ear, still cradling Tenoch as the phone rang. “Come on..,” ze muttered, turning zir head when Tenoch tried to lick zir mouth. When there was no answer, ze sighed and hung up. “I’ll try the rest of them later, right munchkin?” ze cooed to Tenoch, who’s tail swayed at the false cheer in zir voice.

In the meantime, Chris put zir phone to charge and recorded what ze had overheard in the club. Ze wrote the time, location, address of the club, and everything Ezra and Jefferson had said word for word. As an Enforcer, ze was an officer of the law, not a judge, but if ze brought hard evidence against Jefferson should he betray his sire, then there was a better chance of keeping zir family safe.

Once the record was down, Chris put the notebook away and got up to shower. Ze could still smell Jefferson on zir from the dancing and ride to and from the club.

While ze was underneath the scaldingly hot water, long strands of hair pasted to zir back, ze tried to think of anything but Jefferson. Ze thought that ze had hated him before, but ze couldn’t have been more wrong. The annoyed infatuation ze had felt up until that encounter with Ezra was nothing like what coursed through zir now when ze thought of him. What the hell did he mean when he said they had a long history? How long was it? Fifty years? That was nothing given how old Ezra was. And why did he owe Mencheres his life? What had zir father done? Did he genuinely want to help Ezra or was he lying?

Chris clenched zir fists and resisted the urge to punch a hole in the wall. If only ze could hear his thoughts like everyone else. There were few people, human and Paranatural alike that ze couldn’t pry into the minds of. Kira was one of them, but she was naturally immune. There were other ways to block that sort of telepathic connection, like meditation or spells.

Spells. Was it magic that he was using? Chris’ powers were for the most part common knowledge. Did he suspect that ze could hear thoughts and cast something to block zir? And was his aura fake? Was he concealing something?

All those names, the legends, the stories, were they all some sort of front? What was he hiding?

A high pitched beeping pierced the air, cutting through the sound of the shower’s steady spray. Chris shoved the shower’s glass door open with controlled force so as to not break it and ran to zir office, grabbing the towel folded on the sink as ze went and dried zir hands. That beeping was for one thing only; the phone given to Enforcers for Guardians to contact them.

The device was small and durable, with a keyboard that was revealed if part of it was pushed. It was black with white lights in the buttons and easy to hide just about anywhere for when it was needed.

Chris answered immediately and spoke in a perfectly flat and clear voice,“At your service, Guardian.”

“Night Vale, I have an assignment for you. Your first as an Enforcer.” Veritas’ voice, even with the poor quality of sound offered by the phone, sent chills through Chris. Ze was convinced that she hated zir what with all the extra work and hell that she put zir through during training. It had seemed that her sole purpose was to make Chris as miserable as possible.

She continued when Chris said nothing, it was a test really, Enforces were not supposed to speak unless directly asked to and she had not asked,“Groups of marginalized humans and masterless vampires have been disappearing in areas heavily populated by ghouls and mercenary vampires. I am charging you with the responsibility of minimizing attention to this by humans and beginning an investigation. It is suspected that Radjedef and Ezra are responsible. There is no current deadline, as these are just rumors, but I expect you to be progressive regardless. Do you understand?”

“All is understood, Guardian. I am to ensure humans do not notice and seek out the culprits,” Chris answered, making sure to enunciate. Gods, these phones sucked, but that was the price for having a secure line, and who knew where Veritas was? She could be across the world for all ze knew.

“This is an opportunity for you to prove yourself worthy of the title you have earned. Do not disappoint me.” Veritas’ tone did not change, but her words were icy.

The mere thought of messing up this assignment made Chris feel faint. There was no room for error here, or really anywhere in Chris’ life if ze was being completely honest. Everyone depended on the assumption that Chris was somehow without fault to solve every problem and ensure success. Imagine what paranaturals would be saying if Chris failed.

Ze would not entertain the thought. Ze would not fail.

Vertias hung up after the warning and left Chris gripping the phone in clammy hands while water dripped onto the navy rug of zir office.

No room for error. Not this time and not ever.


	12. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly a filler chapter where we learn more about Jefferson. Another conflict is introduced, but we'll have to see how it pans out.

Okay Chris, calm down, relax. This is fine. He won't listen if you yell. "Father, I don't think you heard me." Chris resisted the urge to grit zir teeth. This was more difficult than ze thought it would be.

"I heard you perfectly, Chinoe. Did you believe that as Jefferson's sire, I would not be aware of his connections?" It seemed like the older Chris got, the more closed off Mencheres became. When ze was little and learning how to behave, he had been so expressive, but now he was as aloof with his child as he was with the rest of his people. Chris wasn't sure if it was personal or just a habit of his, since his thoughts gave very little away. Either way, it stung.

"It's not that." Keep your voice level..You know what happens when you get upset.. “Doesn't it mean something that he's supporting the war? Even if he's not going to participate, he said himself that he's on Ezra's side."

"This is not about taking sides. In just your twenty-three years you have seen many wars against us, Chinoe. Why would this be any different?" Mencheres looked like a statue, his sitting posture perfect and alert even though his body was technically relaxed.

Chris' patience was wearing thin and zir composure threatened to crack. What Jefferson had said to Ezra was bad enough, but now ze had the assignment from Veritas weighing down on zir to make things worse. "I'm supposed to trust him enough to have everyone think I'm somehow in love with him or something and yet he's going around talking to your enemies saying that he wants them to kill you? I couldn't care less about him, but you're my father. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you or Bones or Denise or any of you. I don't trust him at all. What if he helps them?"

"I doubt that he will." That was too short and vague of an answer for Chris to be happy with it, so ze pressed him further.

"Why? Don't you have a bad feeling about this? Maybe you've had a vision or something about him?" ze asked, struggling to stay still in zir armchair across from him.

"I have not. And while you may continue to question me, consider this: are your true instincts telling you that he means to do me harm or is your anger telling you? Surely you are aware of how our world works. Lying is looked down upon, but everyone does it. Everyone lies, cheats, makes false pacts when they must either for themselves or their people. Do you believe he means to keep his people safe by earning Ezra's trust or do you truly believe that he wants me dead?" Black eyes bored into Chris. Mencheres gaze wasn't always expressive, in fact, his eyes were usually as flat as the rest of them, but now they were intense, piercing even, as they urged Chris to consider his question.

Chris found zirself looking away from him and to the Persian rug underneath the armchair ze sat in. Ze faintly heard a late summer breeze rustling the trees outside as ze thought back over the time ze had been forced to spend with the insufferable 'Hatter'. More than once, ze had witnessed him transform as ze thought of it. Moments where he would be one way with zir and someone else would come along, or the two of them would strike a particular subject while talking and he would change. He couldn't shapeshift like ze could, but he would appear to be a completely different person. It was so hard to place what made that possible, it could be his eyes or his posture or expression or something along those lines, but other times it seemed deeper. Sometimes ze could feel the air around him change and it would seem like someone else was in front of zir. If he could do that so easily, how could Chris know the truth about him? Maybe his entire personality was fake. If it was, Chris sure didn't know.

When zir mind wandered to the lounge and pressing against the private room's wall to listen in on him talking to Ezra, one sentence stood out that made zir look to Mencheres again.

"He said that he owed you his life," Chris said, "And that his loyalty comes from there. What did he mean by that? You must know."

"I do, and I know that in that case he was honest." In that case? So Mencheres did know he was a lying bastard.

"Well?" Chris' eyes darted to the clock and ze cursed internally before looking to zir father again. "What happened?"

"I'm afraid-," Mencheres stood and had to look up slightly when Chris followed as ze was a couple of inches taller than him, "-That is not my story to tell. You may ask him, however, perhaps he will tell it to you." He gestured for Chris to follow him as he walked into the hall from one of the many sitting rooms in his residence. "Now, you have a date with him in the amusement park nearby, do you not?"

Chris didn't even try to hide zir sigh. "Yes. He told me to meet him there at nine. He said he wanted to make up for the failure of a date we had three days ago." Chris shook zir head. "I don't get it. Why can't he just leave me alone? Our arrangement wasn't this..Demanding of either of us. He's trying too hard."

"Perhaps there is more to him than you believe there is," Mencheres said, stopping at the front door of the mansion and opening it.

"Sure there is." Chris hugged him and he squeezed zir before letting go.

They didn't bother saying goodbye. Chris remembered one instance where Mencheres had told zir that in his extremely long life he had gotten tired of saying goodbye so many times. Ze knew ze would see him and the others again soon.

 

An hour wasn't that long. Three cycles of twenty minutes, one twenty-fourth of a day, ten minutes passing six times. So why did Chris feel like ze had been wandering the local carnival forever?

Ze had bought a neon orange bracelet that gave zir a pass on any of the two dozen rides and gone on a couple of them before getting hungry and tucking into a horribly fatty plate of chicken strips and fries. Two more rides later and ze hadn't gotten the faintest sense of Jefferson's aura. Ze had checked zir phone to see if ze missed a call or text from him and found nothing. Ze also found out that it had only been an hour. Maybe 'only an hour' wasn't the way to think about it. Jefferson was an hour late and hadn't said anything about missing their date, if that's what it could even be called.

This wasn't entirely unlike him, though. There had been half a dozen occasions he had invited Chris to meet him at some hotel or house he was renting in whatever city he happened to be in so they could figure out somewhere to go and Chris had shown up on time to find him ushering out whoever he'd spent the night with while halfway through dressing for the day. After the last time that'd happened, Chris opted to just meeting him at an arranged location. Even when he was late for that, he normally called or at the very least sent zir a text so ze would know to wait. The lack of that was what stood out.

As ze went on more rides, ze found zirself checking zir phone almost constantly as though ze was afraid of missing some sort of contact from him. Something didn't seem right. Ze went on the Ferris Wheel to get a better view of the carnival and spotted a few paranaturals with some humans. When ze focused and listened to snatches of thought or conversation, ze didn't find anything particularly incriminating.

Eventually, zir mind wandered back to what Mencheres had said. In all honesty, the entire arrangement with Jefferson just seemed strange. Granted, ze hadn't had that many options when it came to deciding who ze would court; most of the Paranaturals that ze knew well, ze thought of as family and the suitors that had come before and caused the whole problem all wanted zir for selfish reasons that frankly pissed zir off. Jefferson had met Chris before but it had been when ze was tiny, barely in Kindergarten, but hadn't stuck around long enough for Chris to know him as anything other than a fleeting friend of the family. At first they had gotten along fairly well and perhaps there had been some attraction on Chris' end in the beginning, but in the past year that had changed. He wasn't off-putting. On the contrary, he never seemed to be alone at any given time. His stupid charisma always attracted people no matter what. And contrary to what Chris wanted to believe, he wasn't objectively dumb either. Despite his foolish behavior and party-animal lifestyle, he had proved on many occasions to be quite intelligent. Perhaps it was his age? He and Chris hadn't really ever talked about his background or his life, since Chris was actively trying to avoid getting too close to him. Ze was pretty sure that the second he wasn't needed anymore, he would bolt and ze wouldn't see him again, so ze never found out where he was from, when he was turned or how old he really was. His aura felt weak, but ze was starting to question if he did that on purpose. He did have his own line, after all, and Mencheres didn't allow just anyone to break off from him.

This whole situation, the courtship, the missing people and paranaturals, and these stupid fucking dates were all fucked up and Chris wanted no part in any of it. Too bad that life didn't have an escape button.

After wearing zir head sore for another hour thinking about Jefferson, ze had wound zirself up tight enough to snap. While sipping a root beer float, ze heard a snatch of conversation from one of the Paranaturals ze had spotted there talking about moving because of the masterless vampires being targeted.

Fuck Jefferson, he could take his invitation to see this stupid carnival and shove it up his ass. Two and a half hours had gone by and there had been no sign of him. At least ze could start this investigation and be useful there instead of wandering about and working zirself up into a frenzy.

Chris tuned into the conversation and heard most of the disappearances were happening in Boston. That was an immediate red flag. Chris had lived there because of the schools most of the year for the majority of zir life. Similar attacks had taken place years before in Ohio where Cat was from as an act of rebellion and dishonor against the notorious Red Reaper as she was known. Some of the attacks had even been rumored to happen in the suburbs outside the city, said the young vampire who was speaking. That alarmed Chris even more. Could these attacks be a trap? Veritas could have called any Enforcer to be on the case, but she had called Chris out of over three hundred highly trained Paranaturals. It all seemed to be too much to be a coincidence.

Chris trailed the small group for a few more minutes, but they didn't give any more relevant information so ze got on another ride to prevent being found out.

 

The carnival was closing down a half an hour later and Chris was on zir way out with a stuffed animal dragon for Tenoch when ze heard a motorcycle and felt a tingle in the air that made zir scowl. Three hours. He was three fucking hours late.

Ze made it a point to pass him on the sidewalk as he parked the Harley and put down the kickstand.

"Chris!" Was that worry in his voice or was ze just tired?

He ran after zir and put a hand on zir shoulder, but had to remove it when Chris whirled and faced him.

"What do you want?" Ze didn't conceal zir irritation and glared at him.

"I'm sorry I'm late I-"

"You what? Got hung up with another not girlfriend? Or were you so busy partying that you forgot? Or maybe you were fighting pirates in space while riding a magical unicorn and couldn't check the time?" Every word was dripping with animosity that ze had been holding for the last three days. Or had it been months? Ze couldn't even tell anymore.

"No, no it's not that. Let me explain." He stepped closer and into Chris' personal space, not seeming to care about the daggers ze was glaring at him.

"You better have a brilliant fucking explanation for this. You didn't even text me!" ze snapped.

"I know I didn't. Come with me, somewhere private would be better," he said, casting a look around at the humans passing them. Some of them staring while others ignored their argument.

"You really think that after you stand me up and leave me at a shitty carnival for three hours that I'll just go home with you?!" Chris clenched zir fists and closed zir eyes, trying to reign in zir anger. Ze could smell burnt asphalt and sulfur in the air from the outburst and briefly wondered what it must be like to not smell emotions all the time.

"I'm not trying to make it up, I just want to tell you what happened. I can't do that here," he said, "I'll take you home as soon as I'm done, I promise."

"Your promises don't mean shit," ze grumbled. "And what if I just leave, huh? You gonna grab me again?" It was a low blow, but ze was still furious even if ze wasn't yelling anymore.

"No, I'm not, but I'm pretty sure you would rather know why I'm late then leave and wonder about it the rest of the night." He inclined his head ever so slightly. "I can get us a hotel room down the street. What do you say?"

Was he seriously pouting? What, did he think Chris was some sorority girl that he could bat his eyes at and convince to just do whatever he wanted? If he hadn't already proved that he knew Chris well with his prediction should ze leave him in the street, ze would stalk off immediately. Instead, ze walked calmly to his Harley and got on. "Fine. Hurry up."

He gave zir a small smile and got on, kicking up the stand and revving the bike into motion.

They stopped at a motel called La Blue and parked in the space nearest the door. Chris got off first and left Jefferson to put down his kickstand and follow zir inside. They got a single room with one bed, took the key and got into the elevator.

"You look nice.," Jefferson said when the elevator door closed.

Chris glanced down at the blue skirt, tight tank top, and see-through white shawl ze had donned for the evening and shrugged. "It's warm out. I just threw this together." Ze didn't bother to comment on his tight black jeans, black shoes, and navy shirt rolled up to the elbows. Both outfits had gone to waste.

Ze stepped out of the elevator first, room card and dragon plush in hand, and opened their door at the end of the hall. The room was nicely decorated; the carpet was dark blue, the large bed's frame was black, and the sheets were white with blue pillows to match the blue lights that shone behind the bed's headboard. The room certainly lived up to the hotel's name.

Jefferson shut and locked the door behind them and kicked his shoes off. Chris was already sitting in the black office chair provided, so he took the bed, sitting on the edge of it and facing zir.

"I was about to leave at eight-thirty when I got hung up at an apartment I'm renting here. I didn't want to be late."

That was far too vague for Chris to be happy. Besides, if that had been it, he could have told zir that in the street without spending a hundred-and-fifty dollars for this room.

Ze crossed zir arms. "And?"

"It was an ex of mine. She wanted to talk," he said.

Still not enough. Chris raised an eyebrow. "And?" ze said pointedly.

He rubbed the ring on his index finger with his thumb. "It's a long story. I don't know if you want to hear me talk that much."

"Really? Are you fucking kidding me right now?" ze said, "You dragged me in here and paid for this room just to tell me your ex held you up and dismiss me? No, you're telling me everything. You already wasted three hours of my time. What's another few hours? I want to hear the whole story." Zir arms and legs were crossed now, zir eyes narrow as ze stared at him.

"Alright." He leaned back on his arms, his legs splayed out and open. "Have you ever heard the name Regina?"

"In passing, yes. She’s also known as The Evil Queen, right?"

"That's her." He sounded bored when he said it. "She and I know each other pretty well. We've had on and off affairs for a pretty long time, but we haven't always gotten along. Have you heard the story of how she got to be known as more or less evil incarnate?"

Chris shrugged. "She had a lover that died and her heartbreak and bitterness twisted her over the years. She practices black magic too, so I assume that had something to do with it."

"Kind of. That's not the whole story. When she was young and still human, she was the sweetest, most innocent girl you'd ever meet." He lied back and folded his arms behind his head.

"I'm going to guess that you ruined that," Chris said, sounding irritated still. What had he done this time?

He chuckled. "Partially. It wasn't just me, but I had a part in it. She grew up a princess with a loving father and terrible mother. She loved to ride horses and as time passed, fell in love with the stable boy. They kept it a secret knowing that her mother would do something to him if she found out.

"When she was of age, her mother decided to marry her off to a king who's wife had passed away. The king had one daughter, a young princess of seven or eight years old, who wanted a mother dearly. She liked Regina and was elated to have the beautiful princess become her new mother after the trauma of her own mother passing away from a deadly illness.

"Regina didn't want to marry the king at all, so she and the stable boy, Daniel, conspired to run away. When she was meeting with him one night, he got down on one knee and proposed to her with a silver ring. The young princess she was supposed to become the stepmother of saw this and was going to run when Regina spotted her and stopped her. Regina made her swear to never tell and explained that she loved Daniel and that love would make her happy. The Princess understood that and wanted her to be happy.

"As more preparations for the wedding were made, Regina's mother, a heartless wretch named Cora, befriended the young princess and one day manipulated the young girl into telling her what she had seen Regina and Daniel do.

"On the day that Regina and Daniel were to run away together, Cora came to the stable. She killed Daniel in front of Regina and told her daughter that love was a weakness, and that only power could provide true happiness. She left her daughter with his body and informed her the wedding was the following day.

"Regina married the king, but she hated him and everything about her life in that castle. She wanted nothing more than to be free of it. So a powerful sorcerer ghoul known as The Dark One came to her and told her that she could rid herself of her mother and gain power through magic. I created a portal for him so she could banish her mother to another land and he began teaching her the Dark Arts.

"It turned out that all she had really wanted was to use magic to bring back her dead fiancé Daniel back to life. He told her that it was impossible, as Daniel had been dead too long to be revived by Paranatural means. I happened to be at his residence as per his request and informed her that I knew a man who could bring back the dead." He paused there to sigh and Chris found that ze was leaning forward.

"You lied to her didn't you," Chris said, "You sick son of a bitch."

That made him sit up. "It wasn't entirely a lie. His methods were experimental and hadn't been proven neither successful nor failed."

Chris rolled zir eyes and he continued.

"I brought the man to her and he attempted to revive the dead stable boy, or so she thought. The attempt failed and he informed her that there was no way to bring Daniel back."

He paused again. "The devastation that caused her." He shook his head, looking down at his lap. "It was..Indescribable."

Chris scowled at him, zir arms crossed again. "I'll fucking bet it was."

He pursed his lips and looked up again. "She returned to The Dark One after that and finally gave her all into practicing black magic. She even demanded that he turn her and proved to be quite powerful. It was after that when she became known as The Evil Queen. The Dark One had made a deal with the man to fake the experiment, paid me to bring her to it, and got an apprentice out of the whole thing. It worked out for the three of us. Regina had no idea that the failure to revive Daniel had been on purpose or that I had known all along. Eventually I began working for her as well as The Dark One and somewhere along the lines of that a spark lit between us."

"Of course. Isn't that how all stories go?" ze said flatly.

"She came to me tonight to let me know that she found out about the plan, but that she was willing to forgive me and not kill me on one condition."

"And that was?" Chris asked, leaning forward a bit again.

"I had to marry her."

"Why didn't you? Because you're allergic to commitment?" Another low blow, but he had just told zir how much of a colossal asshole he was, so he earned it.

"It wasn't necessarily that. On some level she loves me, and maybe at some point I loved her, but I'm not going to commit to anyone that I don't choose to love. Because it is a choice, you know." He was looking zir in the eyes now with this penetrating look he got when he was serious. "Relationships built on just feelings never last. You have to choose someone and stick with them and work with them. Love takes work. I'm not willing to work with her."

Chris was taken aback by his solemnity, but nodded in understanding. "That's reasonable, but didn't you say she was going to kill you if you said no?"

He shrugged. "I'm not afraid of her. I know her well enough that I have nothing to fear." He paused then tilted his head. "Are you happy now? You don't have to forgive me, but at least now you know."

Ze found that somewhere along the course of the story the fire that had been burning zir from the inside out had ebbed. That didn't make sense. He had just told zir that he had manipulated a young woman into becoming a monster for money.

Ze stood. "I wouldn't say I'm happy, but your explanation is acceptable." Ze walked to the door, stuffed dragon still in hand and opened the door. "I would wish you goodnight, but I think 'sleep with one eye open' is more fitting."

He chuckled and ze could practically hear his smile when he spoke. "I will. Goodnight, Chris."


	13. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we learn more about how Chris grew up and get to see them in their element acting as an Enforcer. They are taking care of the investigation and get a lead that they will be dealing with soon.

In suburbs things tend to be spaced out more. The yard behind houses are larger, trees are given more room to grow instead of concrete and asphalt taking up every available square foot of space. Neighborhoods with families are far enough away from any downtown with stores that a car is always needed.

Beach towns are a bit different. Houses are a hop and a skip away from the small city and even closer to the shores of the beach. Hyannis, Massachusetts was one of those beach towns. There were houses with docks that stretched out right to the narrow sand banks found on the outside of Cape Cod. It was a small fishing city with a tight knit community, family-owned businesses, and tiny beaches that were perfect for children to frolic during the day and teenagers to light bonfires and drink at in the evening.

None of that contributed to Chris' parents moving there from Newton for high school. The notorious Middle School Track Coach Scandal in which Chris was tormented and abused in horrible ways no eleven, twelve, or thirteen year old girl should be led to zir lashing out and putting the well-known coach, a pillar of the community, in a permanent coma. The family was driven out of town because of the seemingly 'random act of violence' ze had committed against him and were forced to move.

The other reason was school. Hyannis had the best high school in the entire state, ranking in the top ten of the country with the highest test scores and rate of college acceptance.

Chris hadn't particularly disliked the town. Low levels of light pollution meant that most of Chris' nights in high school were spent on the shore, staring out at the starry sky and praying to something for a purpose, reason to live, reason to not die, or some hopeful, childish wish that ze had long since given up on. The people left much to be desired. Since the community was so small, almost all of Chris' so-called 'peers' had all been best friends since they were in diapers. There was very little room for newcomers and with the eighty-seven percent white population, being from Egypt and having dark skin didn't help much either. Needless to say that Chris did not make many friends or bond with many of zir teachers. For zir, those four years were used to figure zirself out and deal with zir own issues. Besides, ze had never fit in well with the human world in general. Once those four years were over, zir parents sold the beach house they'd had and none of them looked back.

Perhaps that was why the town felt so alien to Chris now. It felt as though decades had passed since those fleeting four years when in reality, it had been no more than five. So much had changed since the summer ze had moved here.

But this wasn't the time to dwell on times that were, for all intents and purposes, long gone. Chris was there on business. Apparently a strange body had washed up on the shore, all shriveled skin bloated from the seawater and weathered bones that fell apart the day after after they were originally found, and covered by surprisingly modern clothes. The news would have gone all over the place if local authorities hadn't wanted to prevent mass hysteria. Chris was in town two days after the body appeared, ready to clean up the mess that had been made.

Ze always found it funny when parents sheltered their children too much. On zir way to the police station, Chris had walked through the small downtown area and was chased down by a little boy who flagged zir down with exclamations of "Miss! Mister!" over and over again until ze stopped and turned to look down at him.

He had chestnut hair and hazel eyes, with little freckles on his cheeks and nose, much like the darker ones ze had. With his plain t-shirt and overalls, he looked like a child stuck out of time that could have lived in the town in any decade. He pointed at zir head and asked. "How did you get your hair like that?"

Ze was assuming he meant the purple and red as opposed to the complete lack of hair on zir left side and puffy curls that made zir hair stay near zir shoulders. "I dyed it," ze said with a small smile, "It doesn't grow that way." Not entirely the truth, but this kid didn't need to know he was talking to an alien shapeshifter.

"Can I see? I want colors like that!" he said, his eyes wide as he reached for zir.

Normally this kind of behavior would annoy zir to no end, but ze could see the boy's mother walking at a brisk pace toward them and could hear panicked thoughts about her son being attacked or growing up like the, as she put it, 'man-womanish goth thing talking to him'. That was what prompted zir to kneel down and tilt the right side of zir head toward him. "Maybe one day you can do your hair this way." Ze said as he ever so lightly pet the textured curls offered to him.

"Charles! Come here! Don't you remember what I told you about talking to strangers?" The boy's mother resembled a stock photo with her plain face, light skin, and brown hair that matched her son's. She was dressed in bell bottom jeans and a tank top that she covered with a thin cardigan. A beige bag probably loaded with various supplies she had packed for their day out was over her shoulder as she nervously looked Chris over.

On some level, Chris found it ironic that the little boy had the same name as Spade was given at birth, but that didn't register as much as the satisfaction of watching the woman creep closer. There was a time where Chris would have been horribly offended at being thought of in such awful ways, but ze knew that it was all stupidity and so, found it more fun to mess with racist, prejudiced, bigoted people that had previously made zir life a living hell.

Chris looked up to her. "I'm sorry, is this your son?" ze asked, making sure to put a little bit of extra smoothness in zir voice, a trick ze had learned from Bones and Spade growing up.

The woman's cheeks began to darken. "Y-Yes," she stuttered, embarrassment coloring her features before she covered it with a scowl. "Yes, that is my son. What do you think you're doing talking to him?"

Charles paused in his petting to lower his head and hands, his mind suddenly filled with anxious apologies.

"If I remember right, he chased me down and wanted to talk to me first. I don't see a problem with him liking my hair, so I'm letting him have a look at it," Chris said, giving him a small smile that put him more at ease as ze stood, towering over the boy's mother.

She tightened her grip on her bag and stared indignantly up at zir. "Well, I don't think it's right for strangers to put ideas in his head, especially-," she cut herself off and ze was shocked at how much like zir late grandmother, Justina; she was, all talk, anger, and prejudice with nothing to back it all up aside from more talk, anger and prejudice.

Was she joking? She undoubtedly filled her son's mind with ideas put there by strangers, and shitty ones at that. Lying politicians, false preachers, advertisements that promoted closed off towns like this one, television programs that would teach him to become as awful as her if he didn't stop it, friends of hers that supported her monumental stupidity with their own and all raised their kids to grow up worse than them were better than anyone that didn't look like her?

Chris tilted zir head. "Especially what?"

"Nothing!" she spat. "Charles, come here! Don't make me count."

The boy obediently shuffled to his mother and hid behind her, staring up at Chris with a pleading expression. Ze could only imagine what bullshit she subjected him to daily.

"Well, I don't believe I did anything wrong, but I apologize for any inconvenience." Zir eyes flashed emerald for just a moment and ze continued. "I would recommend that you think before you speak to people you deem less civilized or acceptable than yourself and allow your son, Charles to express himself freely." Zir eyes flashed again as ze looked down at him. "Remember that you are your own person, Charles, and do not be afraid of your mother. Mistakes are not the end of the world." Ze left the two dazed humans and heard them resume their walking moments after ze had ducked out of sight.

 

The Hyannis Police Station was small, like the rest of the town and had a mere two police cars that went out to patrol the town. Chris knew that they had some sort of record detailing what they knew of the washed up body. Ze had until sunset a few hours away to do zir job in the station and meet the contacts who claimed to have information on the murder.

Chris walked straight into the station and was greeted by a young man dressed in a white shirt and black tie behind a desk.

"Can I help you?" He barely managed to stop himself from adding 'sir' or 'ma'am' at the end for fear of getting it wrong and embarrassing himself. Chris outfit of dark blue pants and a light shirt didn't lend to zir presenting one way or the other. It was that and zir hair that threw him off and made him wary to assume.

Zir eyes glowed emerald and he froze, staring into them. "Yes you can. Take me to the office of whatever detective is handling the recent beach disturbance case. I need to see their files."

The man nodded once and walked out from behind the desk and down the hall with Chris in tow. He turned to enter the last room on the right. "Anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes. You won't remember seeing me or leading me here," ze said in a flat, dismissive voice as ze walked to the desk. For a police station, the security was positively dreadful. The detective's door hadn't been locked, there was only one camera in the hall and in each room, and the files were all spread out for anyone to see if they walked in. As much as it bothered Chris to know such incompetent people were supposed to be responsible for a city's security, in this case it helped zir.

Pictures of the body had been taken and ze didn't need to do more than glance at them to know exactly what had happened. Salt water had damaged the rotted body considerably, but that didn't matter. It was clearly the corpse of a young vampire. Older vampires shriveled down to just skeletons or even dust, but this body wasn't that far gone. Ze estimated the person had been turned fifteen to twenty years prior. What bothered zir wasn't that this person lost their life, but the way they were killed and left for just anyone to stumble across their body. That in itself was a crime given that it put the secrecy of paranaturals at risk. Whoever had done this did it on purpose. It wasn't that difficult to guarantee that a body was never found. This whole scenario felt staged, set up. It was a trap.

"Excuse me, who are you and what are you doing in my office?" A woman's voice made Chris look up from the files that simply described the pictures ze had already seen. She was average height with olive skin and light brown hair. Dark eyes regarded zir from behind rimless glasses. The head detective.

Chris gathered up the files and pictures, tucking them under zir arm. For the fourth time that day, zir eyes bled from dark to light green and mesmerized the woman. "I am the director for another bureau. You are going to call all of your employees and tell them to gather in the rec room so that I can speak with them."

One intercom call and flight of stairs later and Chris was in front of every member of the station's staff including the custodians. Ze stared them all down with glowing eyes and spoke.

"The body that you all found was a prank orchestrated for laughs. It had no significance and needs no attention from any of you. You will not remember me or remember this meeting. You will leave and go about your lives as usual." Ze was gone before they had time to blink and recover.

 

Vermillion, crimson, indigo, and violet spread out across the horizon as the sun died for the day. Each color danced on the waves of the endless ocean that lapped at the sand beneath Chris' feet. Now this, this struck zir more than anything else that had happened during the day. Ze couldn't count the number of days in the four years that ze had lived in Hyannis the number of times that ze had left the massive house zir parents had bought and watched the sun's death in anticipation of getting to see the clear night sky.

A charge in the air broke zir nostalgic daze as two young paranaturals, a ghoul and a vampire, approached zir. Ze could practically taste the sickly sweet scent of their fear and anxiety as they drew near.

"Oliver. Amelia." Ze regarded the both of them coolly, assuming the attitude an Enforcer would have with an average paranatural.

Oliver was a short man who looked to be barely out of his early twenties and judging from his aura was around that age in undead years as well. His strawberry blond hair, electric blue eyes, and small frame made him as nonthreatening as could be to someone who didn't know he relied on human blood to live.

Amelia was taller than Oliver, but not by much, with brown skin and dyed blond hair pulled back by a headband. She filled out her sundress well and had tattoos of flowers covering both of her arms.

"You're the Enforcer Night Vale?" Oliver asked, making a point to look Chris in the eyes to combat his nervousness.

"I am. And I understand that you two have information about the strange body that appeared here two days ago?" ze said, looking right back at him and listening to his mind race.

"It was our friend Switch," Amelia said, almost flinching when Chris directed zir gaze at her, "He said he was driving up here to pick up a boat he bought and never came back. Our sire Peter died five years ago. We've all been taking care of each other since then, trying to survive, you know? This is exactly what we were trying to avoid." She couldn't keep the grief out of her voice and ze felt sorry for her even and ze nodded with an impassive expression.

"I see. Your sire was named Peter? How many were in his line?"

"Only a hundred or so. He wasn't that old. He just got tied up with the wrong people and paid badly for it," Amelia said, trying to reign her emotions in and act more controlled, she was speaking to an Enforcer after all.

"And do you know who his enemies were?" ze asked, seeing that Oliver's gaze kept flicking to zir shoulders.

Amelia nodded. "His worst enemy was Falcon. They had the same sire, but always hated each other."

Falcon. One of Ezra's. This was most definitely tied to her, then. Peter and Falcon were both part of the infamous Sorceress' line. Chris' earlier assumption was proved correct. This was a trap.

"Have any others in Peter's line gone missing?" Ze asked, looking to Oliver who was still looking at zir shoulders.

"Yes. A bunch of us took up living in Boston. When Switch stopped turning up, so did a few others," Amelia said.

"I'll need names," Chris prompted.

"Noah, Teddy, Elaine, Birdie, and Red. We don't know if there's more of us gone, but there probably is." She cast her gaze to the sand. "If Oli and I go missing too, will you find who did it?"

"I most certainly will. It's my job to protect the law, even if there isn't much of it, but you are all still people and my loyalty is with you as well," Ze said, then unbuttoned zir shirt and pulled it off, leaving a sleeveless undershirt in its place. "Right shoulder, Oliver. I know what you're looking for."

The young vampire seemed to shrink a bit. "I'm sorry, I just- I've never met with an Enforcer before. Is the tattoo thing true?"

Chris pointed to the red image on zir shoulder. "See for yourself."

Awe spread across Oliver's face when he stepped close enough to see, the dark not being a problem for his eyes. "Whoa.."

"Oli, can we go? I want to call the others," Amelia said, tugging the young vampire back from Chris as ze pulled zir shirt back on. She met zir gaze. "Thank you. I know nothing can bring them back, but at least we can hope they'll be avenged."

"And they will be," Chris said, the deep sadness in her eyes fueling zir more. Ze knew exactly what it felt like to lose close friends, especially in a violent way. Ze would avenge them and stop whoever was cutting down these helpless people, no question about it. There was no room for error. Even if this was all a trap, ze would have to spring it. For them.


	14. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sees the first attempt at Ezra trying to take Chris down. This also shows the first real culmination of their training and what they learned in the arc of the prologue chapters. Things can only really get worse from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: gore, violence, blood etc. This is a battle chapter.

Summer was drawing to an end and the puffy gray clouds in the sky broadcasted this to all who stepped outside. The dark clouds had been hanging above trees and buildings alike for days, thickening the air and suffocating everyone and everything. It was one of those weeks at the very end of August where the season seemed to sense that it would be swept away by colored leaves and sweaters soon and so, had to pour out its despair onto the world below. Literally.

When the blanket of humidity finally broke, it didn’t just rain; A sheet of water replaced the thickness in the air and made itself comfortable in every nook and cranny it could find. Streets were shut down, basements flooded, and waves of water coated pedestrians when cars zipped through puddles.

Amidst this last burst of humidity and through the first day of the Great Flood reenactment that the sky wanted to play out, Chris was on zir feet. A Newtonian woman’s Facebook post about seeing strange people in the cemetery by her house led zir to the Gardens at Gethsemane Cemetery. Sure enough, there was a young vampire’s corpse laying inside an empty hole meant for someone else. How clever.

Ze disposed of the body in the nearby woods, taking care to crush the remains into dust before scattering what little was left into the mud consuming the forest. The tip also resulted in zir canceling a date with a young woman from zir Feminist Empowerment Club to ensure the security problem would be taken care of in time. It was the third time that ze had stood her up because of ‘work’ and ze was fairly sure it would be the last. In all honesty, that was to be expected with most of the relationships ze had initiated with humans. It was difficult to have a relationship when ze had to lie and tiptoe around reasons for not being able to make it to dates or call from zir phone at certain times or let her spend too much time in their houses for fear that they may be attacked.

The serial killers, whoever they were, couldn’t have been more obvious if they tried. Chris had used to hang out in the cemeteries of that particular town while living there for several years. That particular one had been over a half an hour away from zir house by car, but that wasn’t a problem when you can fly faster than the speed limits of most highways. Ze liked it because of the burned out shell of a barn it had. It was always quiet and empty and the few ghosts that floated around there were for the most part pretty friendly. Chris had spent many school nights wandering around in the dark, reading tombstones, climbing trees, and staring out at the heavens. If it wasn’t already painfully clear that the perpetrators were drawing Chris to them on purpose, this new body and its location sent that message.

Before disposing of it, Chris had called Oliver and Amelia to the scene to identify the body. It turned out to be their friend Noah. They told Chris that the lot of them lived in apartments together near Copley Square, but had vacated them when so many disappeared. Chris let them go after that because ze knew ze wouldn’t need their help again.

 

A small fortune was packed into Chris’ clothes as ze walked through the famous square. Black pants, a black tank top, and black boots would prevent any inhibition to zir motion later on. A black ankle-length raincoat with a large hood covered zir head and hid the sword, curved knives, throwing knives and pistols strapped everywhere on zir body. Ze hoped that ze wouldn’t need them, but it couldn’t hurt to be careful. Chris had no idea what was waiting for zir aside from knowing that whatever it was, it was dangerous and out for blood.

The trap was located in another telling place, the Boston Public Library. The first ever cradle for intellectuals in America that was opened to the public used to be Chris’ home away from home when ze lived a few train stops away from the monument to all things educational. The old-style architecture made zir feels like ze had stepped out of time and into a fantasy of sorts. Marble columns, statues and old wood came together to create a fantastical work of art that one could simply walk into. What more could you want?

The first thing that struck zir when zir power unlocked the doors for zir to duck inside before ze was spotted was the smell. It seemed to be the scent of time itself. Old books, old wood, and the smell of thousands of people’s emotions mixed and mingled together. If the situation wasn’t so dire, perhaps Chris would have reveled in the silence and walked throughout the building to relive old times. Old, not better. Nostalgia lied, even if it was nice to believe that the past was somehow better than the present.

Chris passed the deactivated metal detectors and reached out with invisible tendrils to short-circuit the cameras that were watching though ze was sure that with the dark and zir black clothes, it would be impossible for anyone to tell who ze was. The small puddles that ze left behind while walking bubbled then fizzled out, steam rising from them before vanishing completely and leaving no trace.

Once ze was past the entrance and now facing the grand staircase flanked by stone statues of lions that endlessly gazed at nothing, ze reached out again, not aiming to touch or grab this time, but to find. Find whoever had been leaving their gruesome, shriveled breadcrumbs for ze to follow.

There was a concentration of energy under the ground, and deep under it turned out. Whoever was waiting wasn’t in the lower level. They were further down than that. And there were a lot of them.

Chris was almost disappointed when ze found no one guarding the entrance to the lower level aside from a rusted metal bar door with a sign that read “EMPLOYEES ONLY”. A fine layer of dust hung in the air, evidence that the area had been vacant for quite some time before someone recently kicked it up. Past the door was a dimly lit hallway with half-covered pipes lining the solid concrete walls and ceiling. Ze opened the door at the end of it and looked down at the long narrow staircase that ended in a stone tunnel. How cliche.

Aside from some mold and mildew that made the library’s hidden underground smell like what a horror movie basement looked like, there didn’t appear to be anything. The tunnels broke off and wound into each other, but Chris didn’t care about which direction ze was going so long as the vibrations in the air increased with every echoing step ze took.

Eventually the tunnel widened and pipes ran along the walls and ceiling again. They were for either water or heating, which was made apparent by them either giving off the heat they were moving, or by allowing the sound of rushing water to quietly bounce off the rounded walls they were attached to.

The air buzzed with electricity, prompting Chris to pick up zir pace. Normally ze would have a knife or two in hand, but ze knew that wasn’t the fastest way to kill or interrogate. Fire usually worked better.

The solid metal door had bolts running all around its perimeter with a single, tiny window long rendered useless by built up dirt and grime on it. The handle to open it was so rusted it looked like it would snap off if any pressure was applied to it, so Chris didn’t bother getting all of that rust on zir hands. The door lazily slid open, its screech at being disturbed leaping off the walls and down the tunnel.

Inside, Chris was greeted by four young paranaturals strung up against the wall of what ze could assume was an old, long unused boiler room, with chains around their necks, wrists and feet, and silver skewered through the bodies of three in various places. The three, namely Red, Birdie and Elaine, were vampires, which was given away by the silver keeping them still, while the one with a spiked collar around his neck, Teddy, was a ghoul.

Surrounding them were about two dozen or so other, older paranaturals. Ghouls, vampires, and dark faeries alike, all of varying power and age. All of them were armed to the teeth with pistols, knives, and even an axe or two. Some of them smiled at Chris with a touch of menace, while others simply scowled at the intruder.

Chris noted that despite their outer appearances giving nothing away, the majority of them were in awe that ze was there. A few had doubted that the plan would work, while others had doubted zir existence completely, chalking up the story of the “miracle child of Mencheres” to being a rumor or lie. Still others were clearly itching for blood, as though torturing the young vampires they had captured and murdering a number of humans that now littered the floor was not enough.

“Are you Night Vale? The Enforcer child of Mencheres and the Red Reaper?” one woman asked, stepping to the center of the group and partially blocking Chris’ view of the hostages. She was average height and olive-skinned with dirty blond hair and dark eyes. She was dressed for the occasion completely in red. Red pants, red flats, and a tight red shirt that wouldn’t inhibit her motion. The energy rolling off of her made it clear that she was the oldest of the group. Scarlett, a well known mercenary.

“That I am. I came to retrieve those four.” Chris nodded to the paranaturals strung up against the wall behind her.

“Under what authority? Their master was killed a year ago. They belong to no one,” she said, a smug smile curling her lips.

“The Master above them still lives. They are Legacies now. Under what authority are you torturing them?” ze asked, shooting her own words right back at her.

“Their new Master. She is displeased with them and wanted us to teach them a lesson. You have no business here, Enforcer. That is, if your title is even real. No one under five hundred is eligible to even train. How can we know your reasons for being here are true?” There was an open challenge in how she shifted her weight to the side and smirked. She was clearly baiting zir.

Chris decided to take the bait and slowly unwound the tight binds ze had on zir aura, letting the crackling energy that was contained in zir join then overwhelm the vibrations in the air. This energy increased until it felt like a bolt of lightning was about to strike the concrete where ze stood. Ze noted with a small amount to satisfaction that as ze did this, murmurs of alarm began to rise in the minds of the paranaturals before zir. Just that was enough, but ze was angry and felt like showing off, so Chris shed zir jacket, revealing the numerous weapons strapped to zir and raised zir hands out toward them. Violet, blue, and white flames burst from zir hands and ran up zir arms, casting colored light on the lot of them.

Scarlett was less than happy to see this, especially when Chris raised zir arms to cast flickering blue and purple light onto zir right shoulder where a blood red tattoo was clearly visible; the sign all Enforcers bore on their skin.

“Do you need further proof?” Chris asked, hearing a couple of the other mercenaries begin to doubt if they had the upper hand anymore.

“No, but you still have no reason to be here. What we are doing is legal,” she said, some of her cockiness ebbing as Chris dropped zir arms so two pistols, undoubtedly loaded with silver, were right next to zir hands.

“Perhaps. Let me speak to their Master. If she affirms your claim then I will leave, but if you are lying, then you are in the wrong. To lie to an Enforcer or Law Guardian is illegal,” ze said, meeting her dark eyes with just as much defiance as she’d had toward zir.

“Very well. Blade, bring me my phone.” She didn’t dare take her eyes off of Chris. One large man armed with an automatic pistol in each hand and four more in holsters stepped out from behind the others and toward Chris.

Zir gaze flicked to him and ze saw him tense the tiniest amount. “Are you to ensure I don’t try anything?”

“Yes. There’s no reason for this to get violent,” he said in a deep, rumbling voice.

Really? The guy who could put Mr.Universe contestants to shame with his bulk and had two pistols loaded with silver that shot automatically was telling Chris that this wasn’t meant to be a fight? Ze would have laughed if it wouldn't have meant garnering disrespect. “Of course not, but you understand that if any one of you move against me I will not hesitate to kill you all.” Ze looked to the rest of them as ze said it, the flames dancing along zir arms punctuating zir point.

Scarlett held the phone against her ear, then, once Ezra didn’t pick up after three calls, lowered it. “It appears that their Master is unavailable at this time. You can neither confirm, nor deny our claims.”

Chris nodded. “I see. I will take them, then. Until you can prove to me that your business here is valid, I cannot allow it to continue.”

Scarlett was about to speak and suggest that Chris come with her to speak with Ezra zirself when one of the men behind her yanked hard on the chain in his hand.

Teddy screamed, then was abruptly cut off, his voice being replaced with the sound of snapping bone and tearing flesh. The ghoul’s head hung above his body, still chained to the wall. Blood dripped from the shriveling head and onto the decaying body as the vampires beside him wailed in agony.

Chris returned the favor by clenching a fist. A blast of power knocked the head of the dark faerie off and his body collapsed underneath him. The large ghoul beside zir aimed, but had his guns yanked away and turned on him before he could pull the triggers.

All at once, the other paranaturals surrounding zir pulled their weapons, cocking their guns and brandishing their blades.

Chris inhaled deeply then let out a long sigh. Ze looked to them and answered their confused looks with an exasperated,”You can’t say I didn’t warn you.” Ze fired the guns at the ghoul beside zir, then threw up a shield to keep the remaining hostages from being killed by their captors. Bullets rocketed into zir, some of them tearing straight through zir while others lodged themselves inside zir only to be pushed out. Ze threw spiked knives into the first three vampires that got close then used zir power to twist them and kill the three. More lunged at zir from there and there was an instant where Chris knew that ze could stop the fighting. Ze could freeze all of them or at least slow them down, take the hostages, and leave.

But Chris was not going to do that. No, ze knew that bloodthirsty people like them would never stop. They would find new employers who would pay them to kill for any reason. They would continue doing whatever they saw fit, even if their lives were spared in this case. However, that wasn’t the true reason ze would kill them in a brawl, even if ze wanted to believe ze was doing this for just reasons. After showing them who ze was, Chris had to kill them and kill them brutally with a selfish motive behind it.

Mercy was weakness.

If Chris killed a few and let the rest live, or even killed the rest in a humane way, they would believe that ze was soft. They would never stop talking about and trying to prove how ze was undeserving of zir title, zir power, and how ze would never live up to be like zir parents, iconic bloody symbols that shook the hidden world they all lived in to its very core.

Chris was not allowed to have mercy. So ze didn’t try to.

The Enforcer grabbed the heads of two paranaturals that lunged at zir and tore them straight off, tossing them before whipping a curved blade out of its sheath and slicing straight through the torso of another. Arms still flaming, ze took the second blade in hand and became a blur of silver and fire, stabbing, slitting, and slicing zir way through the pile of attackers. Knives and bullets continued to pierce zir and tear at zir, slicing off skin and gouging out chunks of black flesh that joined the blood pooling all over the floor.

One paranatural turned out to be quite the shot when they fired and blew a chunk of Chris’ head right off. With zir blinded momentarily, the mercenaries became bold and grabbed a hold of zir, ignoring their burning hands as they yanked zir weapons away. Chris let them spread zir out and begin to remove more weapons. When the remaining paranaturals, including Scarlett, had gathered around zir and were going all out, shooting holes that closed as fast as they were made and slicing skin off. Ignoring the agony of it, Chris focused on them and delivered a final blow.

Rings of fire appeared around their necks then rushed down their bodies, lighting them all up and forcing them to stop their torture to try and put the flames out. The more they screamed and tried to stop the fire, the more it grew and grew, turning clothes to ash and searing their flesh off. Then, one by one, crackling pops were heard as their heads exploded.

Chris left Scarlett for last, burning her on the surface instead of knocking her head off as ze had done to the others.

She was trying to gather herself enough to attack zir when ze calmly walked up to her, then raised a hand, palm facing her. She lifted up into the air in front of the three living hostages. Her arms and legs were pulled by invisible hands so that she was spread out.

Chris looked her in the eyes, zir face an impenetrable mask and jammed a hand into her chest. Ze wrapped zir fingers around her non-beating heard and slowly, ever so slowly, burned it to ash. Ze watched her face as alarm and irritation became pain, then grew into unspeakable agony that she could only scream through.

She fell silent and the life faded from her eyes, her body shriveling to little more than bones that ze let fall on the floor.

Chris stepped on her skull and crushed it on zir way to release Birdie, Elaine, and Red.

The three young vampires were staring at Chris with a mixture of terror, awe, and gratitude while ze removed the knives and broke their chains. The three of them walked out into the hall, leaning against the tunnel walls while their bodies healed.

Inside, Chris gathered the salvageable weapons in a large duffel bag that ze found, gave the useable clothes inside to the three vampires, then stepped out into the hall and lit the entire room up in flames that burned away all evidence of the battle.

Now of course was the issue of getting them to their apartments without being seen. It was very late and ze estimated that not many humans would be out, so perhaps flying them all was an option. Even though ze was extremely drained, ze had endured worse during zir Enforcer training and knew that zir absolute limit was still far away.

As ze was looking outside for any humans who could potentially spot them, ze hear approaching footsteps.

You have got to be fucking kidding me..

“Hey Chris, what’re you doing here?” Jefferson, that motherfucker, walked up to the Enforcer, a bit of a saunter in his step as he smiled at zir. Behind him was a young man, a human, with short sandy blond hair and big brown eyes that looked at Chris curiously.

Chris could smell the desire pouring off the human. Of course. Why did this still somehow surprise zir? Or rather, why did it still bother zir so much?

“I’m doing my job. I don’t need to ask why you’re here, I’m sure.” Chris glanced at the human, not bothering to hide how tired and quite frankly pissed off ze was.

“You need any help? You smell like blood. And a lot of it, what was going on in there?” Jefferson asked, looking up at the massive and elaborate black candelabras attached to the front of the library.

“Some mercenaries Ezra hired were holding a few of her own people hostage to try and lure me out. I assume they were supposed to bring me to her. It didn’t work out for them,” Chris said.

Jefferson’s smile widened a flash of wickedness glinting in his eyes before it was gone. “I see..Do you need help getting them out of here? I have my car with me.”

Chris wanted to snap that ze didn’t need his fucking help, but ze was not in the mood the fly zirself and three people across the city after absorbing enough silver to fund someone’s college plans. Instead ze nodded. “Yes. There’s three of them. They can tell you where they live.”

“What do you mean ‘three of them’?” he repeated. “I can take you to wherever you’re going too, come on.” He turned on his heel, facing the human he had brought. “Normally I would never pass up anyone as cute as you, Matthew, but I need to get these guys home. I hope you don’t have any classes tomorrow, because I’ll be keeping you busy all day.” He pulled the human into a deep kiss that lasted far too long in Chris’ opinion, then let him go.

The human, Matthew apparently, smiled at him and walked off across the street.

Elaine, Birdie, and Red followed Jefferson behind Chris to a black sports car. The five of them piled in, Chris in the passenger seat, and he drove off.

Chris was the last stop. Ze was staying in a hotel by the sea with a room on the outside overlooking the ocean. Jefferson thankfully wasn’t blind or an idiot and didn’t try to talk to Chris while he drove. Ze was about to pass out in zir seat when he pulled up to the hotel and stopped.

“Chris?”

“Mmn..” Ze looked at him through half-lidded eyes.

“It’s good that you fought for them. You’re an amazing person, you know that?” He spoke so gently, like he would startle zir if he talked at a normal volume.

Chris didn’t know what to say to that, so ze opened the car door and slid out, duffel bag in hand. “Goodnight, Jefferson.” Was all ze could manage at the moment before shutting the door and walking around the side of the hotel. Ze noticed with some vague disquiet that he didn’t leave until ze was out of sight. It was too late to consider that, though. Chris leaped off the ground and flew to zir room window, then climbing inside before anyone could see, before taking a shower to remove all of the blood and gore from zir body before collapsing into bed and blacking out.

Chris dreamed of strangely familiar purple smoke and someone’s arms wrapping around zir.


	15. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This short filler chapter sets up the next section of the story. It features Chris' parents and Jefferson again. It seems like some good things are heading their way.

“Tenoch! You little darling, come here!” Denise bent down and held her arms out for the fluffy dog squirming and flailing in Chris’ arms to knock into her as soon as he was set down. She giggled as she scooped him up, turning her head when he licked her face.

“Do I get a hug?” Chris asked with a smile, shutting the front door of the virtual castle that Bones had recently purchased in upstate New York. Nobody else had wanted it because it was rumored to be haunted. The rumors turned out to be true, but the ghosts that were found there were not dangerous, just angry and dramatic.

“No, I’m already hugging my baby,” Denise said, then put the dog down and threw her arms around Chris’ squeezing zir hard enough to bruise. “I’m sorry I missed you last time, sweetie. We didn’t all want to barge in or eavesdrop on you and Mencheres.”

Chris hugged her back, briefly recalling a time that felt like centuries ago when she’d had to bend down to hug zir. Now their heights had been reversed. “I know. Thank you. He told you what happened, right?”

“That he did.” Bones entered the front room, clad in all black that made his snowy skin shimmer in the light provided by electric-powered lanterns. He had bleached his hair again, his naturally brown curls now platinum blond. “I wouldn’t trust Ezra for a second, but you know that thieving bastard and I go back almost as long as Charles, Ian, and I.”

Chris let Denise go to hug Bones when he approached. “I know you do. I just don’t understand why, but I’m not here to judge your friendships. You said this was important and we couldn’t talk on the phone. Is it about Ezra’s trap in Boston last night?”

“You already know the answer to that, luv. We’re all in the sitting room upstairs. And your favorite person is the world has joined us.” The sarcasm in the ex-hitman’s voice was painfully obvious.

Chris sighed and followed him up the worn stone steps. Ze occupied zirself by counting the stones that made up the walls and trying to discern the patterns present in how they had been laid out. They reached their destination, the second floor sitting room, far too quickly for zir liking.

Mencheres was speaking with Cat and Spade on one of the antique couches while Kira tapped away on a laptop resting in her lap on an armchair facing the matching chair Jefferson had draped himself onto. Five heads turned when Chris walked in with Bones and Denise.

Cat and Spade stood, walking over to zir and hugging zir while Kira raised up her laptop for Mencheres to obediently take and set aside.

“How are you doing, Chris? Did you get hurt last night?” Cat asked, holding zir at arm’s length and looking zir over.

“Yeah, but it didn’t compare to what Veritas did to me, so it’s okay,” Chris said, giving her a small smile. “I didn’t leave a trace.”

“ Of course you didn’t, you are our child. We trained you better than that,” Spade said, turning to the couch he and Cat had vacated. “Sit, we have to talk.”

Was it a reflex to feel like you were in trouble whenever your parents said that? Chris could literally hear them thinking about their plan about sending zir away somewhere into the ocean to throw off Ezra, but ze still somehow felt like ze could be in trouble. As if that still mattered, ze was twenty-three and had endured hellish suffering in the pursuit of becoming an Enforcer that would give most paranaturals nightmares, yet ze still felt anxious when ze sat between Mencheres and Spade with Cat to the left side of the Englishman.

“We’re going to test something,” Kira said, her typing on the laptop had resumed.

“I know that Radje does not make empty threats, but I doubted that he and Ezra would strike so soon. You said the investigation was set up, did you not?” Mencheres said, his gaze fixed on Chris.

“Yes. The first body washed up in Hyannis, but I covered it up within forty-eight hours. Then I met with two friends of the victim and they told me that their Master Peter had been killed by Falcon. Both of them were Ezra’s. Then another body turned up in the suburbs outside of Boston. The two vampires told me that a group once belonging to Peter watched over each other since Ezra didn’t seem to care much for them and lived in apartments near Copley Square. I found the hostages in the underground tunnels beneath the Boston Public Library. All of the places they struck had personal significance to me. I don’t know how Ezra or Radje got that information, but their intentions were clear,” ze said, making sure to meet all of their eyes instead of just focusing on one of them.

“And who was waiting for you?” Denise asked.

“A couple dozen paranaturals armed with everything short of a nuke. They had four hostages and all of them used to be Peter’s.”

“Were they Ezra’s people?” Jefferson piped up for the first time from his place in the armchair nearest Chris.

“No. She hired mercenaries to prevent being traced or drawing attention. Smart move. They claimed that Ezra was unhappy with the vampires and ghoul they were torturing so she asked them to teach the four a lesson. I asked the leader, Scarlett, to call Ezra and let me tell her that myself. She didn’t pick up.” Chris’ voice was flat and face equally devoid of expression even when Spade spoke.

“She had Scarlett there for her? She must have thought it was fool-proof then, that woman is brutal.”

“Was brutal,” ze corrected him, earning a few looks of confusion, then, one by one, realization dawned on the faces around zir.

“You killed her?” Bones asked, sounding happy at the notion.

“Not just her. All of them. Scarlett was about to ask me to come with her to Ezra herself, a trap of course, and I would have agreed if one of her goon hadn’t jumped the gun and killed a hostage. After that all hell broke loose.” Zir tone remained neutral throughout the recounting and ze shrugged. “Not a very good plan, I must say. Do you all think that she’s going to strike again? Is that why you’re sending me away?”

Jefferson’s brow knitted with confusion when the other Paranaturals nodded at this. None of them had mentioned the plan yet, which made him wonder at how did Chris knew already.

“Yes. We want to see if she’ll chase after you now that you know what she’s up to and form a plan of defense in case Radjedef decides to strike against us,” Bones said, “The two of you,” He pointed at Chris and Jefferson, “Are going on a cruise from Venice to Istanbul to keep her from finding out what we’re up to.”

“Cruise? You mean because we could hide in the ocean, right? It’s very hard to track anyone underwater and we can’t give them information about you all if we don’t have any,” Chris said, blatantly ignoring the fact that ze would be traveling as part of a pair.

Kira smiled and stood, laptop in hand. “That’s right.” She handed the computer off to Chris. “That’s where you’re going. The trip starts in three days. You’ll both be flying to Venice tomorrow.”

The Crystal Serenity Venice to Istanbul Explorer Combination Cruise looked straight out of a movie with its absurdly indulgent luxury, top-of-the-line technology, and just about everything one could dream of regarding entertainment and service. Hell, they even had a dress code. Nothing below ‘elegant resort casual’ was acceptable as a passenger on the gilded vessel.

“I’ll just address it now before you all ask me why I haven’t asked the inevitable question yet. Why do we both have to go together?” Chris looked up at them then, not so much as glancing at the vampire beside zir when he grabbed the laptop.

“It would be considered very strange if you went alone. It’s supposed to look like a vacation and why would you leave your lover when you’re in the lap of such luxury? It won’t be a convincing front if he doesn’t accompany you,” Spade explained. “I know you don’t like it, I don’t like him near you either.” He looked straight at Jefferson when he said it, receiving an innocent smile in return.

Chris leaned back against the couch cushions and shrugged. “Alright, fine. What does our housing look like?” In all honesty, going with Jefferson wouldn’t help at this point. Ze had been dating humans during their ‘courtship’ and he had been sleeping around with paranaturals and humans alike. Word traveled fast, too, so most paranaturals knew that the two of them didn’t get along or didn’t give a shit about committing to each other. That was bad if they had to keep up this charade, but neither of them seemed to be interested in changing their behavior.

“Two twin beds in the Crystal Penthouse with Verandah. My, my, Bones, did you know my birthday was coming up soon? You spared no expense.” Jefferson said, grinning at his friend who chuckled and returned his smile.

“Of course not, mate. If it was your birthday I’d give you a rowboat full of holes.” Bones looked more serious when he directed his attention to Chris. “I know it’s more along the lines of work than anything else, but we did set you up nice so you’ll have a good time, luv. We want you to enjoy this. You work too hard.”

Chris wanted so badly to argue with him and remind him that zir insanity when it came to working and being as productive as possible was not something ze could just turn off, but it wouldn’t help anything. Ze had been going days without sleep and taking in less energy than ze needed to function the best. Not to mention that ze had taken up the responsibility of looking after some of zir parents line in addition to being and Enforcer. A vacation, even if it was ultimately a hoax, would be good for zir.

Ze sagged a bit against the couch. “You’re right. A week or so of rest would be nice..” /Even if I’m being trailed by a professional asshole../ Ze added in zir mind.

“Ooh, this is going to be fun! They have a club inside and a full-sized pool on deck. And a bar in the room!” Jefferson looked like a child on Christmas scrolling through the cruise line’s information on the laptop.

His joy was infectious and Chris found zirself smiling at the thought of getting to relax a bit. Ze couldn’t let Ezra take over zir and get into zir head so easily. Ze would not let zir guard down, but that didn’t mean there was no space for fun.


	16. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is another filler chapter to establish setting and such. Chris is being civil with Jefferson if not warming up to him the slightest bit. This cruise will be proving more interesting soon.

The next day was spent preparing for the trip. Chris’ parents let zir sleep in, but once ze was up, they all were and out of the house soon after. First was a trip to the salon so Chris could get zir hair under control. Ze normally kept zir hair pressed and straight, but swimming would undoubtedly ruin that and given the demographic that would be sailing with zir, ze had to look zir best. However, ze was looking forward to shocking fellow passengers and chose an unorthodox hairstyle: thin dreadlocks dyed shades of blue and purple that hung to zir thighs.

After spending the entire afternoon and early evening on zir hair, it was off to choose clothes for the voyage. In New York’s garment district, Chris, with the help of Spade and Denise, chose a couple of suits, dresses, and clothing that fit in between to ensure ze would be presenting as ze wanted. Ze bought some makeup as well to complete some of the looks and stopped to eat in Little Italy before heading back to Bones’ house upstate.

Chris was packed and ready to go the next day in time to be driven to the JFK airport so ze could make the flight to Venice. Ze was flying first class, so ze wore a gray polo shirt and dark jeans so as to not stand out more than ze had to among the other passengers on the way. Once ze boarded and was settling into the window seat of the back aisle in first class, earbuds in zir ears and music playing, that slight buzz in the air that ze knew all too well made zir turn zir music up louder, the bass of the song thrumming in zir ears.

Jefferson sat and waved a hand at Chris, speaking when ze took one earbud out and looked at him. “Sorry I’m a bit late. I was supposed to meet you before we boarded.”

“I know, I got your text. We’re here now, that’s what matters,” ze said coldly. Ever since that night at the club with Ezra, everything about Jefferson just bothered Chris. Bones and Mencheres had told zir more than once to think outside of what was explicitly said and read into it. Ze knew that Jefferson had ulterior motives there when talking to the sorceress, so it really shouldn’t be bothering zir so much, but something was preventing zir from getting past it. Maybe spending more time with him would change that, but ze knew that part of the responsibility was zir own.

“..I’ve actually never been on a cruise without my parents before,” ze added, pausing zir music. “This will be interesting, I think.”

Jefferson perked up a bit when he saw that he had Chris’ full attention and nodded. “Oh absolutely. There will be shows to watch and all-inclusive dining and drinks. I think it would be good for you to loosen up a bit.”

Chris raised a brow at that. “You’re not getting me drunk. It won’t work.”

He shook his head, leaning back in his seat and spreading his long legs out. “I don’t mean that, I mean relax. Sleep in or watch movies if you want. Go swimming and eat everything you see. It’s a chance to be more..” He pursed his lips, searching for the right word.

“Normal? Get to act like everything is fine for a couple of days?” Chris filled in.

“In a way, yes. Although I think you’re very far from normal, Chris,” he said turning his head to face zir.

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Ze asked, a small smile sneaking up on zir.

“It is. You’re unique in every sense of the word. And who am I to talk? The word ‘Mad’ is part of my nickname.” He chuckled, then went on,” But really, relaxing is good, just don’t think you have to pretend to be someone you’re not on this trip. It’ll ruin the whole thing for you.”

Chris nodded, still smiling as the plane took off. “Note taken.”

 

Venice, Italy was quite a sight with its free flowing canals and classical architecture. It was a jewel of the Mediterranean, drawing tens of thousands of people year after year to admire and peruse the labyrinth of food and history that it had to offer.

Chris and Jefferson arrived in the middle of the night the day before they were to embark. The warm air and scents of the city were inviting, tempting them to abandon their plans and stay awhile longer. However, they had serious reason to be there and so sought out the nearest hotel a few arched bridges and buildings away. Both spoke Italian, though Jefferson was a bit rusty, so communication was no issue when it came to getting a single room.

The boutique hotel was grandly decorated with velvet curtains, polished wood, and handmade stained glass windows in every room. The marble staircase that led upstairs was perfect, all smooth stone and elegantly cut curves.

The rooms were simple, but still nicely decorated; a single queen-sized bed in the center with gold-patterned sheets, gold lamps with leaves carved out of them against the wall that cast a soft light on everything, dark silk curtains and a plush carpet all provided a comfortable space.

The two of them lined their luggage up in the closet, pulling out their outfits for the next evening and hanging them up to avoid wrinkling. They ducked out of each other’s way while shirts were straightened on hangers and shoes were kicked off as though they had done this a thousand times before.

Jefferson locked the door and flicked the light off, pulling back the bedsheets while Chris stripped and folded zir clothes up, sticking them in zir suitcase. Ze slid into bed first, lying on zir stomach with zir arms wrapped around a soft pillow that was pressed against zir face. It was late and frankly Chris was too tired to care about modesty. Ze just wanted to sleep.

He soon followed suit, discarding his clothes on the floor and pulling the sheets up over both of them. He relaxed, lying on his back and closing his eyes.

 

The Crystal Symphony was a massive cruise liner. Even with its sleek design, it looked like it should be holding aircrafts instead of retired CEO’s and their wives. Upon boarding, Chris immediately knew that Ezra’s goons would not be the only problem for zir.

The ship was more of a floating Country Club than anything else, with about as much diversity as the milk aisle in a grocery store. The pasty men and women surrounding zir reminded zir far too much of high school where everyone knew each other and there was no space for outsiders.

Well, Chris was just going to have to make space.

Ze had made some effort to adhere to the dress code with a white button-up shirt, beige pants, and a matching blazer. Jefferson had helped zir with braiding zir dreads back and out of zir face.

Speaking of Chris’ travel companion, he had cleaned up fairly nice for their first evening on the water with white pants, a sea foam green shirt, and a blue jacket, diverting from his usual strictly leather and black style. His dark hair was combed through and slicked with gel to keep it from sticking up like it wanted to, and his eyes were liner free. He looked a lot younger than the men and women milling around them, but with how he had dressed, he fit right in.

In the time it took for them to check in, have their luggage picked up, and be led to the penthouse they would be staying in, Chris had gotten looks that ranged from slightly perturbed to straight up hateful from around forty different people. This was going to be so much fun.

Jefferson tipped the bellhop and went to look over their living accommodations for the trip.

This certainly was the peak of luxury. Their suite, or penthouse really, had: a spacious living room with custom wool carpets, walnut floors, cabinetry and a Swarovski chandelier, a dining area with a view of the ocean, a custom, state-of-the-art entertainment center, separate study, a custom built-in bar that he was definitely going to make good use of, a large private porch with teak furniture and a roof, a large bedroom with a queen-sized bed and two walk-in closets, a master bath with a Jacuzzi, ocean view, crystal sconces, Calcutta marble floor, TV, and separate shower. There was even a guest bathroom off to the side. It appeared that there had been a mistake in that the main bedroom had only one bed instead of two, but making a fuss about it was simply not work it and so it was overlooked.

It was all Jefferson could do not to rub his hands together in delight. Now if only the courting arrangement the two of them had wasn’t strictly for show. This would be absolute heaven if Chris would just open up and let him work his magic. They could have a much better time disrespecting the space together than merely making the intended use of it.

Chris surveyed the cabin relatively quickly, passing Jefferson on his way to the bar so ze could hang up zir clothes and get settled in. This place better have wireless if there’s a fucking chandelier in the living room of the cabin.

Chris was sitting on the L-shaped couch, connecting to the internet service when Jefferson sat next to zir.

“Hey, you wanna see what movies they have? Or are you hungry? I think they’re serving dinner soon. We can get room service if you want.” He leaned against zir, their arms pressed together in a common display that he didn’t give a fuck about personal space.

Once ze was connected, ze closed the laptop and looked at him, noting with some trepidation that their faces were inches away. “I think I’ll wait for when they serve dinner. We can look at the movies for now.” Wasn’t he being just a dear, doting on zir to see what would happen.

He smiled and stood, more spring in his step than usual as he walked to the bedroom, followed by Chris.

They got to be twenty minutes into the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie when a knock sounded on their door and a voice said,”Dinner is being served in the lower deck.”

“Chris, you go on ahead. I’ll eat in here then join you,” Jefferson said, then called out. “Excuse me? Could I get some help with my internet connection?”

The butler who had arrived to announce the dining time entered once Chris opened the door and passed zir to get to the man on the bed. Poor guy had no idea he would be leaving the room with a lower iron count.

At least the food was good. Chris served zirself multiple times from the wide array of dishes that had been prepared. The pasta a la carbonara was zir favorite so far. Ze took care to eat slowly and not get anything on zir clothes while ignoring the glances, whispers, and thoughts buzzing around zir regarding something or other that the other passengers didn’t like about zir. The most common concern was zir hair. Apparently dreadlocks, especially colored ones, automatically made one a terrible, murderous reprobate that needed to be thrown overboard.

Jefferson must have heard the chatter, because he kept up a steady stream of his own, going from topic to topic including his other trips to Italy, the climate of the area, the quality of drinks that the open bar included, and whether or not he should book a spa day for Chris and himself. It was all distracting enough that Chris could focus on it and not the judgement of the humans around them. Ze wondered what they would say if he told them that the cost of one house zir parents owned was more than their entire fucking retirement funds.

Chris didn’t want to go to bed angry, so once dinner was over, ze went straight back to the cabin with Jefferson and resumed the movie. They stayed up until halfway through the second one, trading trivia about the actors and commenting. Jefferson went off on a tangent about actual pirate culture at the end of the first and how the curse on the Black Pearl’s crew would actually function using real magic. Chris was almost on the floor laughing by the end of it. No matter how many times ze reminded him that it was just a movie, he wouldn’t listen.

It was easier to sleep with the lightened mood and the two of them rested well. Maybe zir parents and the thief next to Chris had been right; ze worked a bit too hard. This chance to wind down was lovely.


	17. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sees a new minor character, or perhaps minor enemy, and some more interaction between Chris and Jefferson. They're getting along for the most part, maybe even a little too well. Chris isn't ready to give up on pushing him away, however.

Sunlight, blue water, and small islands covered in greenery filled the windows when Chris opened the curtains and looked outside. Behind zir, Jefferson gave a groan of protest at the sudden light and pulled a pillow over his head, half of his bare body uncovered by the blankets that he tossed and moved around in his sleep.

“It’s already two o’clock, Jefferson, get up. I thought you wanted to enjoy this trip,” Chris said, leaning on the window sill and looking out at the small waves dragging sand off the islands they passed.

“I’m already enjoying myself. The view from here is great.” He said, his grin was audible, so Chris didn’t need to turn around to see it.

The sheets around him began to shift and coiled around him, wrapping him up tighter and tighter until he finally laughed and said,” Alright! Sorry!” The sheets loosened their grip. “But seriously, you can’t expect me to not look.” Thick cotton and silk wrapped around his head, muffling his laughter.

“While you’re having fun in your cocoon, I’m going to book us some time in the spa,” Chris said, crossing the room and picking up the phone.

Jefferson managed to squirm off the bed and hit the floor, but the sheets were relentless in their attempting to suffocate him. It was useless since he didn’t need air, but the confinement was still uncomfortable and Chris knew that.

The writhing mass of sheets on the floor tried to speak, but was blocked by fabric. Chris pulled the silk out of his mouth and looked down at him, daring him to flick his eyes to zir exposed chest.

“Any more comments, smartass?” ze asked, trying not to smile.  
“Not at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll think of some if you give me time.” He wiggled a bit. “I was trying to say that I can make it up to you. After all, we’ve got this whole suite to ourselves.”

Chris’ lips curled and ze watched his gaze lower to them before he met zir eyes again. “Sure you can.” Ze pulled the sheets off of him, then straightened. “By not making us late for our appointment in two hours.” Ze fixed the bed and went to zir closet to choose clothes for the day.

Jefferson almost huffed at being left on the floor, but decided against it and got up, going to the bathroom to comb his hair before getting dressed.

Chris called lunch in from room service, ordering a sample plate of various foods native to the Mediterranean and ate while Jefferson had another liquid meal, courtesy of the delivery boy who left with a large tip.

After that it was off to explore the ship’s 14 decks, tennis courts, and rooms reserved for classes that passengers could take to learn Photoshop, languages, or digital filmmaking.

Chris managed to find a spot along one deck’s railing that wasn’t near any of the humans sailing with them and leaned on it to look out at the sea. Shades of blue blurred and blended into each other, mirroring the clear sky above. Islands with rocky shores and leafy trees interrupted the blue canvas of the water, stretching out in chunks of brown and green. The sun shone on all of it, warming the air and gentle wind. It was all so-

“Beautiful..,” Chris murmured it more to zirself than to the man next to zir.

Jefferson’s gaze had been on zir for a few minutes now and he couldn’t help himself. “You are..”

Chris smiled a bit at that and lowered zir head. “I meant the sea,” ze said with a touch of humor.

“I know you did, but that dress is too lovely for me to ignore.” Jefferson was referring to the alluring ensemble Chris had chosen for the day; a sleeveless gown made of a thin and flowing fabric colored sea green around zir chest where it gathered and swept down to reveal a decent amount of skin and just underneath where a belt of the same fabric kept the waist high, then blended into a lavender skirt cut halfway down zir thigh underneath a billowing curtain of fabric cut down the middle to allow peeks of zir legs whenever the wind blew just so.

Chris glanced down at the dress. “Thank you. Spade picked it for me. He said the colors would look nice.”

“With your dark skin? Absolutely.” Jefferson had inched a bit closer so their arms braced on the deck railing nearly touched. “I do believe the sea itself envies your beauty.”

Ze looked to him questioningly. “Where did this come from?”

“What do you mean?”

“All this charm. Nobody that we know is here, you don’t have to keep up the act right now,” ze said, straightening up and leaning zir back against the railing, arms crossed.

Jefferson stepped in front of zir, his hands at his sides though they wanted to brace on ether side of Chris and get them closer together. “What makes you think this is still an act?” His voice had dropped not only in volume, but also in pitch to where it was almost a purr.

Chris’ eyes narrowed and ze met his gaze flatly. “Because that’s all this is supposed to be.”

Jefferson tilted his head,“And what if it isn’t? It’s been over a year, Chris. You think nothing exists between us after all of that time?”

Zir arms remained crossed, though now zir posture had an air of defiance. “If I’m being honest, I don’t know. I don’t know what we are and I’m not itching to find out right now.” Ze turned and walked toward one of the lower deck entrances.

Jefferson followed after zir, inwardly cursing himself. “Where are you going?”

“We have a spa appointment in five minutes.”

 

Chris didn’t book them for the same things. Ze got a manicure and pedicure while Jefferson got a massage, then filled his place in the massage room while he was in the sauna. Ze opted for a bath in crystal-infused water as opposed to the sauna, then got a facial before going back to their room alone.

Ze was in the process of encrypting some files on zir computer on the couch when the door opened and two voices announced visitors. One of the voices belonged to Jefferson while Chris had never heard the other one. Snatches of conversation could be heard once ze turned zir music down and listened.

“I didn’t know you would be here! Such a wonderful coincidence.” The voice was accented with what sounded like German nuances.

“It is. And you are certain you’re traveling alone, my Duchess?” Was that pity in his voice? What the fuck?

“Unfortunately yes. I have an old friend of mine in Istanbul that wanted to see me, so I am on my way to meet him, and as I happen to be traveling, why not indulge?” There was so much promise in her voice. Promise of things Chris was not in the mood to overhear.

“As much as I would adore spoiling you, I am not here on my own.” Footsteps approached Chris and ze refused to look up at the two of them, turning up zir music a loud as possible before they could hear that ze was listening in.

“Night Vale?” Jefferson stepped closer, stopping when Chris looked up at him. “I’d like you to meet Diana. She’s an old friend.”

Well geez, I wonder what kind of friend she is. Were you in the Eagle scouts together? Or maybe you met in a knitting club? That would be cute. Or maybe you met in a big fucking orgy and couldn’t get enough of each other, yeah I’ll bet that’s how the fuck you two became friends.. If ze wasn’t occupied in taking in the woman in front of zir, perhaps Chris would have been concerned at how fast Jefferson had managed to get on zir nerves. Just a few hours earlier they had been chummy and getting along perfectly. What was wrong with zir?

Diana. That’s what the fuck was wrong. The ghoul standing beside Jefferson didn’t belong in real life, she belonged on the cover of a magazine. Her skin was so pale and flawless it looked photoshopped, and her hair fell around her perfect, angular face in graceful blond waves. Her eyes were a clear blue that made the sky outside pale by comparison. Her body wasn’t as curvy as zirs, but that didn’t matter with the tight dress she was wearing. No wonder they were such good ‘old friends’. If Chris wasn’t angry enough to catch fire, ze would have wanted to be all over her and from the looks she was giving zir, she wouldn’t mind some advances. However, that was not an option right now, not when ze could smell burnt rubber and asphalt coming out of zir pores.

Chris had stood and was about to extend a hand when she stepped forward and pulled zir down to touch cheeks with her. That when the first actual red flag popped up in zir mind.

Her thoughts were silent. Chris couldn’t hear a thing coming from inside her head. That wasn’t normal, very few humans and paranaturals were immune to zir power. If they weren’t, however, spells could be used as blockers. Ze knew that and ze was positive that Ezra must know that as well.

The second trap set for zir was in the form of a living Barbie doll. Wonderful.

“Night Vale. I’ve heard so many stories about you.” Diana looked at the tattoo on Chris’ right shoulder. “Apparently they were true. Can you really summon fire whenever you want to? Could you show me?” Her painted lips curled in an inviting smile.

“No. I don’t do tricks on command, sorry,” ze said, returning her smile. This bitch really thought ze was just going to roll over for her like that? No.

She pouted at the rejection. Actually, physically pouted. Chris wanted to rip her pretty little lips right off. “Such a shame. Perhaps I will see you around on deck? Or maybe at the show tonight? Jefferson already suggested that we sit together.”

Oh, so it was like that? Challenge accepted. “I would love to see you tonight.” Ze slipped in a little bit of extra suggestiveness into zir tone just for kicks. There was no way ze was spending more time in her presence than ze needed to. Especially when ze was pretty sure she was going to drag zir into bed to slice zir head off.

“Wonderful. I’ll see you there.” She kissed Jefferson’s cheek before gliding out.

And I’ll see you in hell.. Ze thought. “What’s the show?” ze asked, sitting on the couch again and picking zir laptop back up.

“The Crystal Dancers. I’ve heard they’re very good,” Jefferson said, plopping onto the couch and stretching a bit.

 

Chris had more incentive than usual to look nice that evening, so ze gathered zir dreads into braids along both sides of zir head, then up into a mohawk braid that made the colors weave into one another. That was all the color ze would be wearing, too. For the evening, ze chose to change how ze presented. Instead of another dress, ze donned a pair of black dress pants and shoes with a white shirt and white double-breasted jacket lined with black along the hems covering zir flat torso. Ze finished it off with a black bow tie and lined zir eyes with black to make zir green eyes stand out more.

Jefferson stepped into the bathroom and looked Chris over with a smile. “Did you do this on purpose?” He asked.

“Do what?” Ze looked down and saw nothing particularly surprising about the outfit.

“We’re photo opposites.”

Upon looking in the mirror at both of them while Jefferson combed and gelled his hair back, ze found that he was right. His skin was pale with the slightest golden tint to it while zir own skin was dark. He was dressed in black while ze was dressed in white, and his hair was dark while zir own was colorful. They made quite the picture next to each other.

“Huh..I guess we are.”

Jefferson put his comb down once his hair was slicked back and covered the gel. “Ready when you are.”

The Crystal Dancers were as impressive as they were gaudy. Chris didn’t say a word while watching them perform tricks and spins along with dances that would have made anyone less than a professional dizzy and sick. There were more than a few moments where ze didn’t blink for fear that ze would miss a mistake and one of the dancers would hurt themselves. Luckily the show passed without a problem and it did serve a purpose beyond entertainment, it provided a distraction from the fact that Diana and Jefferson were murmuring shit to each other and probably fondling each other under the table. Chris managed to focus solely on the show and zir food, primarily to avoid flipping the table over on both of them and storming off. This night couldn’t be over fast enough.

As if their behavior during dinner wasn’t bad enough, Diana suggested that the three of them go onto the deck and get some fresh air. Hopefully the sky would be clear so Chris could see some stars and ignore the two of them.

The early autumn air was cool but not quite crisp. There was little breeze stirring up the tips of the small waves below them. As Chris had hoped, no clouds hung in the sky. The view of the heavens above was stunning. Millions of shimmering stars shone in the black and blue sky, some of them appearing to change color.

Diana was going on about something Chris didn’t care about while Jefferson listened to her when ze started to inch away from them. Ze didn’t want to pretend that ze cared about whatever she was saying or that ze wanted to be around her for a second longer.

“Hey, Chris?” Jefferson reached out and lightly grabbed Chris by the hand. “Diana was asking if you wanted to see her cabin.”

“Yes, I think it has enough space for all of us,” she said, a sultry smirk on her face.

Ze looked back, first at her, then down at zir hand, still held by Jefferson, then up to the man holding zir. Maybe it was something in the night air, or the crystals, or some other force beyond Chris’ control that took over, but regardless, before ze could think, ze was pressed against Jefferson with his bottom lip between both of zirs.

He reacted immediately, letting go of zir hand to wrap an arm around zir while Diana tugged on his other one.

Chris shoved her back without looking, turning Jefferson so his back was against the railing of the deck. Ze drew on his lip for a moment before he opened his mouth and ze took to opportunity to taste him. Wine was the first thing that registered and Chris decided that ze liked the flavor enough to deepen the kiss.

The sound of heels clicking let them both know that Diana had stalked off, but neither of them cared. Jefferson’s tongue slid against Chris’ while his hands roamed from the back of zir head, down zir back.

It felt like an eternity before they pulled away from each other. Jefferson’s eyes were blazing emerald and his fangs were fully extended with his arousal. Chris’ own eyes matched the intense color and light in his.

“What was that for?” Jefferson asked, his hands keeping the two of them pressed together.

“I wanted her to shut the fuck up,” Chris said, not caring if the ghoul was still listening to the two of them.

“I see.” He both looked and sounded disappointed to hear that, but didn’t let on. He dropped his hands. “You tired yet?”

“Maybe a little. Let’s go.”

 

They fell asleep on opposite sides of the bed, Jefferson on his back and Chris on zir side, facing away from him. Hours later, when morning came, Chris woke first to the feeling of arms wrapped around zir. Ze hummed happily and pulled the blankets up further around zirself, content for a few moments before ze opened zir eyes and nearly jumped out of zir skin.

Chris was still on zir side, but ze was no longer facing away from Jefferson. Instead ze was curled up in his arms. Their bodies were a tangle of bare skin, legs curling around each other with zir face in his shoulder and their arms around each other, pressing them tightly together.

Chris swallowed and didn’t move, trying to figure out how to wriggle out of his grip without waking him and letting him know how they had ended up. While zir mind was racing, ze inhaled to calm down and was overwhelmed by his scent; a forest of trees and flowers layered over something ze couldn’t place. It seemed familiar, but ze couldn’t tell what it was.

That didn’t matter. What mattered was that ze had to get away before he woke up and stole away the little bit of control ze still had.

After a few minutes of very slowly sliding backwards, Chris managed to slip away from him and into the bathroom where ze roasted zir skin and lathered up with enough soap to coat the shower floor to get the smell of him off.

This didn’t mean anything. Ze didn’t mean anything to him.


	18. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezra's trap is sprung again and Chris learns something about Jefferson ze could never have expected. Ze also confesses something to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: blood and gore

A vacuum of pure emptiness was all that existed, stretching out into an eternity devoid of all light, sound, sense. Far away, on the infinite horizon, were splashes of color that beckoned teasingly, forever beyond the grasp of those it drew with false hope of stable ground. Even further off were twinkling white lights, millions and billions of them, all shining brighter than the sun and yet not penetrating that impossible darkness.

This, the heavens that Chris had longed to return to after being ripped out of it and thrust onto a planet that confined and suffocated zir, was incomprehensible. Beyond sight, none of zir other senses seemed to function. It was more than silent; sound no longer existed. The unforgiving vacuum felt like it was pulling zir apart atom by atom. Ze couldn’t feel the blanket of air, every component with a different scent, that ze had grown accustomed to and learned to ignore.

Worse than all of these, however, was the deafening silence inside zir head. For zir entire life, ze had always had a kind of white noise made up of the thoughts of those around zir buzzing in the back of zir mind. Ze had never had a moment of silence and now that ze had it, it was unbearable. Chris was alone. Completely, utterly alone.

And yet, though zir logic told zir that ze should be terrified, screaming into the void that couldn’t hear, trying to find an anchor somewhere before ze came apart at the seams, this was the most peaceful ze had ever felt.

All zir life Chris had felt out of place. Ze didn’t fit anywhere, not even into a species. Ze had never belonged on earth. Ze belonged here, in the endless void that had birthed zir. With that realization in mind, suddenly the deafening silence and lack of stimulus wasn’t so maddening.

The colors splattered across the horizon came into focus and seemed to call out to Chris. Something deep inside of zir yearned to answer it. As ze strained to obey, a path solidified in the darkness. Steps carved out of the void itself offered a way to the sanctuary ze needed. One by one, colors brighter and purer than any gemstone or sunset lit up the edges of the steps, blending and blurring into each other. A dance of light that drew zir to accept the invitation.

Slowly, Chris placed a foot on the first step, staring out at the horizon. Ze needed to reach it. Every fiber of zir being ached to be surrounded by the vivid oranges, blues, greens, purples and reds. Inhibitions abandoned, Chris began to run up the steps, leaping over them one and two and three at a time.

Pure elation that felt like it would make zir burst filled zir insides, spreading until zir entire body felt euphoric. Just as the colors seemed to be getting closer, zir pace faltered. Ze fell against the steps and looked down to find that zir skin now mirrored the image of the steps, colors and stars covered every inch of zir and it was…Beautiful.

As ze was stuck in almost a trance, staring at the transformation, something moved in the corner of zir vision. Ze looked down the steps and saw a mass of purple smoke approaching. It billowed and oozed up the steps, consuming everything in its wake. If it got too close, Chris would lose the path, lose zir way, ze would never find a home so long as it was in pursuit.

Filled with new resolve, Chris stood and began to run again, not touching any of the steps for longer that a second. Ze bounded over entire sections of the stairs and kept zir eyes on the rainbow of the horizon. Ze was getting close. So, so very close.

The step ze had just passed over collapsed, then the one ze was touching, then the one ze was moving on to. That horrible violet menace was spreading up the steps, breaking them and sending their pieces into the blackness below.

Chris redoubled zir efforts, flying forward and clawing up the steps as their incline grew steeper. Purple veins spread across their black surface and split them apart faster than ze could climb them.

/No. No. NO./ The smoke finally reached zir and tendrils of it solidified, wrapping around zir waist and drawing zir away from the stunning image ze had been running to. The desire to make it to those dancing colors grew to an agonizing burn that seared zir from the inside out. The smoke was relentless, pouring into zir every orifice and pore, stealing the energy straight out to zir body as the burning grew worse.

So this was what dying felt like.

 

“Chris! Chris, for the love of the gods, please wake up!!”

All at once, ze was yanked back into zir body. The buzzing was back, ze could smell salt and flowers, and waves passed over each other from somewhere below zir. The warm air caressed Chris’ sensitized skin, contrasting the frigidness from wherever ze had just been. Ze couldn’t see for some reason, only darkness appearing in zir vision instead of the ship’s deck where ze suspected ze was. Why couldn’t ze move?

There were arms around Chris’ waist. No, they were tendrils. The smoke. It all came rushing back so fast ze didn’t have time to think. Ze shoved against the embrace but couldn’t muster up enough strength to get away.

“Chris? What are you doing? Stop that.” Ze could hear at least, and the voice vaguely registered as Jefferson’s. That was not very comforting, so ze pushed at him again.

“No, Chris, stop it. Can you hear me? It’s Jefferson. You’re not in danger.”

Very slowly the blackness that had consumed zir vision began to erode, allowing a fuzzy image of the realm jumper to appear and fade into focus. He looked terrified. What was he doing here? What was ze doing here?

He shook Chris as zir eyes were focusing, which earned him another shove. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, but his tone was sharp. “Chris-“ Why was he using zir name so much? “-What happened? You started moving in your sleep and ran out of our room. You almost broke the door and ran up the steps before I even got up. You were about to jump off the railing.”

All ze could remember was the steps and that stunning horizon. Where had it all gone?

Jefferson shook zir again. “Chris, stay with me. What were you thinking?” His concern was punctuated by a firm grip on zir shoulders.

Chris opened zir mouth, but no words would come out. Ze just couldn’t think straight enough to say anything. Zir head lolled and came to rest against his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around zir then, his embrace became an anchor as Chris tried to be more present in zir body. Their flat chests pressed together and their heads rested against each other’s shoulders. Given the emptiness ze had just experienced, it was so comforting to be hugged.

“You scared the shit out of me, you know that? You could have hurt yourself,” he said, rubbing zir back, still bare from when ze had gotten too lazy to put on pajamas before bed.

The thought was absurd. Chris had endured unspeakable torture and trials in zir short life and he thought that a hop into the sea would be damaging?

“Come on, dawn is a couple of hours away. I think you need more sleep.” He kept an arm around zir as he turned and took a few steps away from the deck railing.

Chris’ legs shook as ze took a step, then buckled and gave out underneath zir. What the fuck? Ze was conscious and aware now, why couldn’t ze walk? Bone-chilling terror seized zir at this. Ze had never been out of control, never been anything but strong. To be weak, as weak as this, was enough to make zir head spin again.

Jefferson scooped zir up without a second thought. “It was a dream, wasn’t it. I had a sense that magic was involved. I’ve never seen you take off like that.” There was that concern again, tinting his voice and mingling its scent with his natural earthy one.

Chris still couldn’t do much other than listen and try to move little by little. Ze curled zir toes, feeling pins and needles along every inch of whatever ze moved. The air was too warm and his arms were too cold. Everything felt too intense. Ze wanted to block it all out, but zir mind was still foggy.

Jefferson stopping in his tracks jerked zir back into reality.

“Diana. What are you doing here? It’s a bit late to be up isn’t it?” There was menace in his voice already. Did he know what was going on?

The woman in question walked right up to them as if Jefferson wasn’t glaring at her. She looked like a model in her silk nightgown. “Not for us. I came to get a look at the view. Why are you up? Did something happen to your precious Enforcer?” She spat the title like it was an insult, looking over the two of them, naked from head to toe, with an arched brow. “Or did I interrupt something?”

“That is none of your concern,” he said, his voice dropping lower as emerald leaked into his eyes. He stepped back, tightening his grip on Chris in his arms when she reached for him. “Don’t touch me. Or them. You can drop the act, Diana. I know why you’re here. Whatever you did to Chris didn’t work. They’re still here.”

Her eyes narrowed and she smiled devilishly. “Are they? I haven’t seen their eyes focus or their mouth open once. You can’t protect them from her and you know that. Just give it up and perhaps my Master will have mercy on you.”

He huffed at that, shaking his head with a smile. “I think you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to, Diana. I never give up, surely you should know that.”

“Very well. I’m sorry you’re making me do this.” She hiked up her dress and pulled a silver blade from a holster that had been around her thigh. “One of you is going to have to go.” There was almost a whimper in her voice, her lips set in a false pout. “And I was so fond of you, my dear.”

Chris was alarmed at that point, but knew that ze was a shield in the way of her stabbing his heart, at least for now, so ze didn’t try to squirm out of his grip. Ze tensed and zir arms wrapped around his neck instinctively when he reared back and kicked her in the stomach hard enough to send her flying down the deck. Ze didn’t let go when he ran down the stairs to the lower deck in the direction of her room faster than any human would be able to see. He opened the door in a hurry and dropped Chris on the bed.

“You’re still having trouble moving, so stay here. I’ll take care of her.” He was doing his best to sound reassuring, but his eyes were blazing with anger already.

Ze wanted to protest, but still could only muster up an unintelligible murmur. He threw a blanket over zir and yanked on a pair of shorts that had been left on the floor before leaving in a blur of motion.

It took Chris several minutes of focusing to feel in control again. Zir skin still felt too sensitive, but ze chalked that up to the lack of sense in the dream. Cat had told zir about magic in dreams; it could be used to deliver messages, transport people, or in some cases, kill. Ze suspected that the latter was what Ezra had in mind. That didn’t entirely explain why ze had been out of it for so long after waking up, but that wasn’t important. Now that ze could move, ze had to help Jefferson. There was no way Diana was armed with only one knife. If she intended to kill, she had to have more weapons hidden somewhere. Or worse, she had extra backup with her.

Ze got onto zir feet, glad that they didn’t buckle this time, and extended a hand to the closet with zir clothes, reaching for the doors with zir power. They opened and a pair of pants flew into zir hand. Ze would be able to fight her now. Perfect.

Chris ran out of the room, hovering just above the floor to avoid waking any humans with heavy footsteps. Ze reached out, searching for Jefferson’s aura somewhere in the ship. Ze sensed an unusually large concentration of energy that felt like his in the bowels of the liner. Ze flew through hallway after hallway, searching for an employee’s entrance or something that would get zir to him. Ze ran into one of the butlers on call twenty-four hours a day, and mesmerized him. He gave zir directions to the lower level and ze was out of his sight an instant later.

Chris was doing zir best to avoid expelling too much energy on flying since Ezra’s magic had left zir very drained, but for every second that ze couldn’t see Jefferson, ze felt like ze was missing something. Ze swore to the gods, if he fucking died because ze was slow, ze would kill Diana and revive her somehow just so ze could kill her again.

In the bottom of the ship was the greatest concentration of energy. Ze passed rooms with controls, furnaces, and storage, not bothering to fly anymore. Zir feet made some noise against the metal floors, but that didn’t matter when no humans were around.

Ze shoved open a metal door that led to a spare storage room with full intentions to knock Diana’s head off. Apparently ze was late.

Ezra’s henchman was pinned by glowing strips of metal that twisted their way into her from their place on the wall. She was bleeding from her arms, legs, and neck, the red fluid dripping onto the floor by Jefferson’s feet as he stood in front of her. His back was to Chris, but ze knew from the eerie glow cast on Diana that his eyes were glowing green. The very air around him crackled and hummed with energy that ze had only felt from zirself, Mencheres, and the Law Guardians themselves. How was he doing that?

“I’m going to give you one last chance only because of our past friendship, Diana. Tell me what Ezra is going to do.” Jefferson’s voice was a low growl that sent shivers down Chris’ spine.

Diana stared down at him, her eyes teary even though they were glowing like his. “I will not. Ezra will kill me if I do, and even if I tell you, you’ll kill me anyway.” Her gaze flicked to Chris and hardened. “You. This is your fault.”

Jefferson turned his head, looking at Chris over his shoulder. Beyond the green lighting up his eyes that all paranaturals had, was absolute, unadulterated madness that chilled Chris to zir very core. His fangs were bared in a terrible grin when his eyes locked with zir before he turned back to the ghoul against the wall. “Is it really, Diana? You knew that I would be here and yet you still chose to come.”

“I didn’t have a choice! You know that!” Terror had shattered her careful control and she strained against her bonds, forcing metal deeper into her.

The Hatter tilted his head and let out a hum. “I do know. That doesn’t change what you tried to do. Farewell, dear. You were fun while you lasted.” He thrust his hand into her chest and pulled it back out. Her heart was in his hand, but he had done something to it. It glowed dimly in the dark room.

Chris couldn’t understand why he had done it, since ghouls could survive losing their hearts. Then ze saw his fingers tighten and heard her scream. It was bloodcurdling. Moments later, her heart was gone, having been crushed into a dust by his hand. Chris stared at him as she continued to scream before the metal pieces tore her apart, first by the limbs, then split her torso and the rest of her into bloody pieces.

It was a minute before Jefferson did anything else other than stare at his work in the form of shriveled chunks of what used to be Diana on the floor. Those waves of energy didn’t cease, either. They steadily radiated off of him, making zir feel like ze was in the middle of an electric storm.

The silence was broken when he snapped his fingers and the pieces of the ghoul vanished in a puff of purple smoke. It was then that he finally turned around and faced Chris who was staring at him with a combination of horror and confusion.

“Don’t worry about anyone coming in. She chose this room because of its soundproofing. Boilers are pretty loud,” he said as he walked over to Chris.

Was he serious? He just tore a woman to pieces, grinning like a maniac, and the first thing he says is regarding the humans sailing with them? What about the fact that he felt like a walking generator? Or how he had just proven to be scarier than most of the Master Paranaturals ze had already faced?

Chris didn’t know what to say so ze turned on zir heel and started back toward their room. He followed and said nothing else until they were inside their cabin again.

“Did I frighten you?” he asked, his voice was back to normal, that borderline demonic growl was gone, but he hadn’t reigned in his aura at all.

Ze didn’t know how to answer that. Objectively speaking, seeing him like that was scary as fuck, but Chris didn’t feel like ze was in any real danger. “..Not..Entirely..” That didn’t sound sure at all. Ze turned to face him and saw that he looked innocent as ever. “I don’t get scared of people. I know you can’t hurt me, but I have no idea what I just saw. Maybe unsettled is a better word? Or disturbed.”

He nodded, clenching his jaw as glancing around the bedroom. “Mhm..” He sat on the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees. His head was bowed and shaking slowly. “I’ll be honest, I was hoping you wouldn’t see all that.”

Chris’ brow furrowed and ze stepped in front of him. “Why not? You think I can’t handle that sort of thing?”

Jefferson looked up and squinted at zir. “What? No. Hell no, you’re an Enforcer, of course you can handle blood. I meant seeing me.”

Chris put zir hands on zir hips. “Yeah, I have some questions for you. What the hell?! You looked like some twisted serial killer when you saw me!”

He chuckled a bit, his smile making him look so amiable. “I know. Haven’t you wondered where my nickname comes from?”

“You mean ‘Mad Hatter’? Not really!” Ze took a breath to calm down. “I just, I wasn’t expecting that. You act so..” Ze waved a hand around, trying to think of a word. Damn Ezra for making zir mind so hazy.

“Charming? Charismatic? Absurd?” he offered, now leaning back against the bed on his hands.

“Yes! All of those! So what the fuck just happened?!” Chris couldn’t deal with this. First the ambush, then the dream, and now it turned out that zir traveling partner was fucking batshit.

“I was angry at her,” he said with a shrug as though they were discussing the weather.

“That wasn’t anger.” Chris shook zir head. “You snapped. Why?”

Jefferson chewed on his lower lip for a moment, glancing away as he thought. “Because she was going to hurt you. She was going to take advantage of what Ezra’s spell did to you.”

Ze wanted to question why he would use such extreme force, but ze knew that ze would have done the exact same thing had ze been in his place, so ze addressed what ze really wanted to know. “What was that spell? What was Ezra trying to do?”

“To tell you that, I’ll need to know what you were dreaming about.” Jefferson lied back against the pillows with his legs splayed open and patted the open space beside him. “Lie down, you probably still feel a bit off.”

Chris walked around the bed and lied on zir back, folding zir hands on zir stomach. Ze described being in space, surrounded by nothing and feeling nothing, then seeing the stars and that rainbow of color that was so far away. Ze told him about the glowing steps and the call and finally the smoke.

Jefferson had turned onto his side, resting his head on his hand as he listened to zir recount it in silence. Once ze was done, he spoke. “I know what happened. I didn’t think Ezra would put so much effort into harming you, but I guess I was wrong.”

“It all felt so real..I was there. I know it sounds strange, but was out there all alone..” Zir throat began to burn. “I wish I could go back. Those colors..They had something that I need and I’ll never know what it is..” Something wet ran down zir cheek. Was ze crying?

“No they didn’t, Chris.” Jefferson slid closer to zir, his voice soft and gentle. “I know it seems like they did, but it was all a trick. Ezra was drawing you away from you body with her magic. That’s why it felt real. You were about to leave your physical form and you didn’t even know it.”

Ze swiped at zir eyes. “But I belong out there. This isn’t me. I can’t be myself here..I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be anyway..” Ze wasn’t sure what was making zir so open all of a sudden, but ze couldn’t stop it.

He wrapped his arms around zir and pulled zir close. “And you don’t have to know right now. You’re only twenty-three. You have an eternity to figure yourself out.”

Ze curled up a bit, tucking zir arms against zirself and leaning zir face against his pale chest. “I know..You sound like my parents..That doesn’t make it any easier. I’m not a human, I’m not a paranatural, I’m not even from this planet for fuck’s sake..What am I doing here?”

Jefferson rubbed soothing circles on zir back. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that for you. I think I know what you are, though.”

Chris looked up, eyes still wet. “You do?”

“You’re a miracle.” He barely whispered it, but it resonated.

Ze pushed away from him, smiling despite zirself. “Shut up..” Ze swiped at zir eyes and lied on zir back again.

Jefferson moved over and leaned over zir. “Do you really want me to?”

“Yes..” Ze couldn’t look at him. Ze knew he had that awful contagious smile on his face. Ze did feel better after talking to him as had happened before when they spent time together, but this was different. There was tension now that hadn’t been so great before lingering between them.

Chris sat up and slid off the bed. Ze did not have the energy to deal with whatever was building up. “I think we should go, Ezra knows were we are.”

Jefferson rolled off the bed and hopped onto his feet. “I know where we can go.”


	19. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is one of if not the shortest chapter in this fic. It just has Chris and Jefferson traveling to a home of his.

“Your parents chose this cruise for a reason, you know. All of these retirees aren’t just here to make you miserable,” Jefferson said, changing out of the shorts he had haphazardly grabbed on his way to confront Diana and into a pair of swim trunks. “You know that we’re near Istanbul now, right? We’re in the Black Sea.”

“Yes. I’m going to guess you want to swim somewhere?” ze said, walking to the closet beside his and picking a pair of longer swimming pants.

“We’re going to Constanța, Romania. It’s more or less my home town.” He walked to the porch door and held it open for Chris. “From there we can go to my favorite home in the countryside.”

Ze stepped out onto the covered porch. “Don’t tell me you have a castle or some shit. You’re just like Uncle Tepesh.”

“If I say yes, would you be upset?” he asked, smiling wide at zir.

Ze rolled zir eyes, a smile on zir face. “I knew it. Of course you have a castle somewhere. You’re just the type.”

“And what type is that, hm?” He leaned in close to zir and was pushed back.

“We can talk more when we get there. I take it I’ll have to follow you?” Ze climbed onto the porch railing.

“Yes, but first we’ll have to go deep and stay hidden for a little while, in case we’re being watched or get followed,” he said, standing up on the rail beside zir.

“After you?” Chris said, looking down at the dark abyss below.

Jefferson held out a hand. “Together.”

Chris shrugged and took it, leaping off the rail with him and plunging into the water.

They shot down until they were in complete darkness, the warm water pressing against them on all sides harder and harder the deeper they got. They pressed together then rocketed toward the shore, bubbles shooting out behind them as they went. They stopped a mile from the actual shore to see if they were followed.

Chris let go of Jefferson once they had stopped and looked up. They had entered the water before dawn and it would be hours before the sun was high, so whether or not they would have been able to see any light was unclear. For now the expanse of blue was impenetrable and darker than any night. For a moment, colors and lights flashed before Chris’ eyes, reminding zir of the dream.

Jefferson was a bit surprised when he felt arms around him, the energy contained in them sending a shock up his spine that he reveled in. He hugged Chris tight, floating with zir in the water. He could only imagine what ze must have looked like, long dreadlocks extending out in the water like snakes and that hard body exposed from zir hips up. He could feel zir muscles flexing and shifting with zir every movement, pressing against his own. He wanted to stay that way and hold zir forever.

 

The most populous and ancient city on the Romanian coast was Constanța. Estimated to have been founded in 600 BC, it was the oldest most continuously inhabited city in the country. Old and new came together in a classical metropolis with expertly designed buildings that had stood the test of time and become icons. Historical churches and museums were among these, standing out with their size and elaborate construction.

Unfortunately, Chris and Jefferson were only in the city so they could fly from it to the countryside. By then both of them were tired but far from getting any rest. Few people were on the docks at the edge of the city in the predawn hours, so they didn’t worry much about being seen leaping into the air and soaring into the graying sky.

The wind cushioning them was warm for mid-September, drying them as they passed over houses, landmarks, and a lake on their way out into the countryside. Smaller towns soon gave way to mere roads and eventually all they could see was green, either from farms or forests left untouched by the country’s people.

They were approaching Jefferson’s home by the time color began to break out across the sky. The sun rose slowly, turning the sky from black and navy to yellow, orange and blue. The new day’s light illuminated their destination as they landed.

Completely surrounded by massive green trees of every kind was a castle that looked straight out of a fantasy. Areas of stone steps, pathways, entrances and exits were staggered along the front grounds covered in bright green grass and carefully tended shrubs. High towers that ended in sharp points stood proudly beside squared off sections with slanted roofs and rounded rooms that jutted out high above the ground, all coming together with brown pattered wood and white stone expertly cut and carved in a classic style.

Massive dark wood double doors were pushed aside to allow in the owner an his guest as the last of their energy was used to make it up the grand stone steps and into the nearest bedroom where they collapsed into bed, salt still clinging to their skin. They could explore tomorrow, but for now all of the energy that night had taken from them needed to be replenished.


	20. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris learns a few things about Jefferson both in and out of his presence here. And now that they're safe, some things begin to emerge more prominently between them. Whether or not anything will happen is up to Chris, and they may not be rising to that challenge yet.

Dreams are supposed to be signs of good sleep and a working mind. If they are missing, something is probably wrong.

If it wasn’t for the previous night’s incident, Chris would have wondered what ze did wrong to not have any dreams while sleeping in the Romanian countryside. Instead, ze woke from a long bout of empty sleep happy that ze didn’t see any stars or get suffocated by more of that strange violet smoke.

The thick duvet was warm from zir being underneath it so long and ze did not feel inclined to leave it even though zir skin was clammy and covered in a thin layer of salt from swimming the night before. Ze rolled over, spreading out a bit and found, with a good deal of disappointment, that the rest of the bed was empty. Ze could have sworn that Jefferson had been there when ze fell asleep.

Just as soon as the sinking feeling registered, Chris dismissed it and flung the covers off, sitting up. Ze stretched and looked around the room. Ze had still been out of it and quite tired when they had arrived and didn’t get to observe where ze was staying.

Apparently ze had been wrong when ze had accused the realm jumper of being just like zir legendary uncle, Vlad Tepesh; Jefferson was even gaudier than he was.

The room wasn’t overly spacious, but Chris was fairly positive that the medieval painting of the Virgin Mary on the wall alone could have put several people through college. The bed ze had been sleeping on was queen-sized and made up of intricately carved pieces of dark, polished wood. The bedding was hand-woven pink silk, patterns of leaves embroidered into it. A tall antique lamp stood on one side of the bed, while a smaller one illuminated the opposite side from its place on a carved wood night table. Above the bed’s headboard was a framed tapestry who's pattern of symmetrical flora repeated four times and below the painting of the iconic Virgin was a stone fireplace that had clearly endured extensive use and wear over time. Several matching Persian rugs covered the floors and kept the footstool nearby the fireplace from scratching up the wood.

While Chris was getting a good look at the impressive accommodations, ze spotted a covered tray with something white under it on the footstool. Ze hopped off the bed and picked up the tray’s cover. Underneath were eggs, a few pastries, a stack of french toast, potatoes, and sausages. Ze pursed zir lips as ze picked up the note underneath.

It read: I had a few things to take care of and you slept in, so I had to go. Breakfast, or lunch depending on what time you wake up, is here for you. I put clothes in the dresser drawer. Feel free to explore and make yourself at home. I will be back soon.  
\- Jefferson

His handwriting was rushed and slanted, letters curling into each other with uneven spacing between his words and his signature was perfect with flourishes in the ‘j’ and the ‘f’s. The writing looked how his voice sounded, expressive and unique.

Chris was halfway through the contents of the tray when ze fully realized how hungry ze had been. Ze never would have expected Ezra's attack to drain zir so thoroughly. Ze could be sustained in different ways, certain forms of gaining energy helped more than others, so ze varied it. Some days ze ate, other days ze slept, still other occasions ze would feed from people, human or otherwise when ze was able. The cruise had actually calmed zir down enough to sleep properly and take some time to do what ze wanted instead of running around for other people, so sleeping and eating had replaced feeding from others. Now, however, zir sleep wasn’t as restful as it should have been and something had to pick up the slack, so ze finished the tray and left the note beside it as ze went to the bathroom.

The washroom had a pale stone entranceway and red stone tiled floors. The circular tub was lined with yet another kind of stone and built straight into the floor and backed by wood pieces framing a painting that depicted angels and various people flying in a blue sky. Brown curtains tied with tasseled gold ropes hung on both sides of the tub, offering privacy if the bather so chose they needed it.

Chris ran hot water and searched in a large wooden cabinet for soap. Ze settled on a body wash and slid into the steaming water to take the salt off.

Once ze was clean and dressed in an orange sundress ze had found among button up shirts, jeans, and other clothes in the guest room’s dresser, it was off to explore the rest of the castle.

Denise had told Chris once that a person’s home spoke volumes about them. Jefferson’s home was showy, yet beautiful, extravagant, but still tasteful, with its classical roots and original design diligently protected. The color scheme had a great deal of red, gold, and dark wood, making zir wonder how much of a fire hazard using torches must have been before the electrical replacements had been installed.

The halls had carved wooden panelling that matched the high door frames and rug-covered floors. The staircase leading from the front hall where the castle’s main entrance was to the second floor made a statement right as soon as you walked inside; a long red carpet laid out on top of the stone steps beside thick columns decorated with red, gold, and silver flanked by two statues of half-clothed cherubs greeted whoever wanted to walk beyond the entrance. The rest of the castle was as extravagant with old paintings framed in gold, lush rugs leaving few rooms with wood still visible, antique furniture of all kinds filled the many rooms.

So far Chris’ favorites were: the ballroom, with its black and white checkered floors, high arched ceilings, electric chandeliers, and massive double mirrors reflecting its wide open space, waiting patiently to be filled with joyful dancers; the salon, once a throne room, that had a roomy comfortableness to it with high carved wood ceilings to accommodate the large windows,covered by thick pale green curtains, matching wood chairs, small tables, and long cream-colored ottomans along both walls beyond the empty stone platform where a throne had once been and three oriental rugs on the floor, all illuminated by more antique metal chandeliers; the dining hall, that had one long solid wood table lined with two dozen elaborately carved matching chairs of the same material that fit in perfectly with the rest of the room, all carved wood door frames, display cabinet, and ceiling, like everything else with the exception of the dark stone fireplace that lay dormant, its purpose for light taken by a chandelier as was its purpose for warmth by the vents lining the bottom of the walls. 

Eventually, Chris settled down in the best room ze had found so far, the library. It was absolute heaven with more high arched ceilings, the arches themselves carved and painted with scenes from various old stories and myths all over them, old lanterns with their lights turned off to let the stone-backed windows to illuminate the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lining the long walls. On both of the stone walls with entrances to the rest of the castle was a coat of arms above portraits of long gone monarchs who perhaps had called this place home. In the center of the room were a few carved wood tables with a dozen or so chairs of all sizes and shapes and several lamps for late-night reading.

Ze perused the wide selection of books, some were old with leather spines and yellowing pages while others were modern with printed titles and paper backs. One particular shelf caught zir attention and ze made a beeline for it.

All of the books on the shelf were leather bound and bore no titles. They varied in size and amount of wear, some of the spines had burn marks, tears, or unknown stains. Ze picked out one book bound in red leather that had long lost its vibrant color. Ze peeled open the wrinkling, yellowing pages carefully.

Inside were sections of handwritten text accompanied by sketches, notes, and ink blots, all in Jefferson’s distinct handwriting. Some pages were filled with sketches of landscapes, while others had descriptions and notes of strange creatures ze had never heard of beside sketches in colored ink. Folded between other pages were maps of fantastical lands, marked up with more notes and names.

Fascinated, Chris picked a couple more and chose a loveseat by the journal shelf to curl up in while ze read. The entries catalogued Jefferson’s adventures and experiences in dozens of different lands across his time realm jumping. Ze soon found that they read like his verbal stories, dramatic, expressive, and filled with side-tracking and tangents that had zir struggling not to laugh. These journals were a mess; scattered, half finished stories written in unknown languages filled page after page, only to get interrupted by a hand-drawn map or sketch of another impossible creature. Notes and reminders were squished into the margins in more pages than not and some were just left completely blank, or had a title and nothing else.

Before ze knew it, the sun had set and the room was dark. It didn’t affect zir vision, however, so ze consumed one journal after another, stopping more than once to try and decode the languages he had changed into that ze had never seen before.

It took the sun rising again for Chris to pause in zir investigations regarding the castle’s owner. Some of the rumors had turned out to be true. Jefferson was a thief by trade, although he also practiced magic quite extensively, he had been to dozens, or perhaps even hundreds of lands beyond the one he was supposedly born in, and he was most likely a lot older than ze had thought before.

Ze decided to confront Jefferson in person about some of this new information as opposed to reading more personal information behind his back. However, despite it having been the second day since they arrive at the castle, he had not returned yet. In fact, the castle was a lot emptier that ze thought it would be. Ze had not seen a single person, human or otherwise, anywhere in the many rooms and towers in the castle. Normally even reclusive paranaturals had a group of humans and perhaps a few servants to take care of their home and provide meals. It didn’t seem to fit with how Jefferson presented himself. Ze thought that the castle would be teeming with people, not so empty that it was unnerving. There was another question ze had for him.

Once ze got into the mindset of questioning Jefferson’s peculiarities and mysteriousness for probably the millionth time since they had first met, there was no stopping it. Ze ended up pacing throughout the salon, thinking up how ze should approach him. At this point, his personal life was putting zir in danger. He had clearly known Diana and she had proved to be one of Ezra’s and had quite literally tried to kill zir. Even if it hadn’t worked, his ties to Ezra and perhaps others were putting zir at risk and that could spill over to zir parents and their people, which was zir main concern. Ze didn’t care if the story was ugly, he had to fess up.

 

Apparently for Jefferson, ‘I will be back soon’ meant ‘I will be back in three days’. Chris had been keeping zirself busy cooking in the castle’s fully stocked kitchen, wandering the forest surrounding it, and studying the architecture of the place. Ze hadn’t returned to Jefferson’s journals or the library in general lest ze get caught up again and miss him when he returned.

Ze was lying on one of the slanted tower roofs, watching the sun dip below the horizon and leave dazzling colors in its wake when ze felt a buzzing in the air that let zir know Jefferson had returned. Ze looked down at the front entrance in time to see him walking inside with a casual air about him that let zir knew he had no idea what was coming.

Ze slid down the roof and swung into one of the windows so ze could meet him inside. Ze ran into him in the hall, face already set in a firm frown. This didn’t bother the realm jumper who smiled when he saw zir and held out his arms.

“What do you think? Do you like it here?” His most disarming smile was in place, curling his shiny red lips and making his eyes sparkle. Chris would not let him off that easy.

“I do. You have very good taste. I’m sure even my Uncle Tepesh would be jealous of all this.” Zir voice was flat and zir sentences were short, clearly showing zir discontent.

Jefferson tilted his head slightly. “Why thank you. Is there something you need to tell me? Come, we can sit in the salon.” He turned and entered the room to his right, sitting on one of the ottomans lined up against the wall.

Chris remained standing. Ze wanted to face him, not sit next to him, and the chairs across the room would make conversation more difficult. “If you wouldn’t mind, I have a few questions for you.” Ze folded zir hands in front of zir, not crossing zir arms just yet.

Jefferson raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “Shoot.”

“I was in your library and stumbled across a shelf that was a bit different from the other ones-” ze started and was cut off.

“-Oh, you were reading my journals. I thought you would find them.” He didn’t seem to have a care in the world when he said it. “You’re free to read through them. Some of those stories are well-known.”

“Thank you, but they made me a bit curious. How did you start out practicing magic? portals are extremely uncommon, especially ones as powerful as yours and I don’t think Mencheres specializes in traversing worlds nearly as much as you.” Ze kept zir tone detached, not wanting to appear angry and push him toward lying.

“That is true, my sire is able to travel through worlds, but he is very limited. My magic is mine and uniquely mine. It’s why there aren’t other realm jumpers like me around here; the secrets of such travel aren’t common knowledge because they aren’t common at all. Magic is very personal, you know. The majority of what I practice, I have created over time.” He sounded matter-of-fact now, not like he was trying to be charming. This made Chris inclined to believe what he was saying.

“Ezra is a very powerful sorceress. Did you learn anything from her? Or do you know her another way?” ze asked.

“It’s a little bit of both. You in the mood for another story?” he asked, then added,” You seem to be fond of my stories.”

“Fondness and curiosity are two different things,” ze said, not wanting to mention that ze had spent over twelve hours reading book after book of his written tales.

He chuckled and stood, offering zir the ottoman. “That is true. I’m sure you know that curiosity-“

“Killed the cat, I know. But the complete and lesser known phrase is ‘curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back,” ze said as ze sat.

Jefferson’s eyebrows raised again and he nodded. “That is correct. Now, what is it that you really want to know? Do you want me to tell you about Ezra, or my magic?”

Ze considered this for a moment and decided that having information about the woman who was waging war against zir family and trying to kill zir was currently more important than knowing how he had made impossible trips to worlds that weren’t supposed to exist. Ze wasn’t five anymore. Those fantasy stories could wait.

“Tell me about Ezra.”

Jefferson clapped his hands together, pointing his two index fingers as his mouth. “Well, she is a good one thousand two hundred years old, born in Ethiopia and practices a few forms of magic. We met through her best friend Patra.”

“Mencheres’ ex-wife. The one who tried to kill Bones and Cat and killed Denise’s first husband,” ze said.

“Precisely. She was a beautiful woman, even if she was extremely malicious. I understood why Mencheres fell so hard and fast for her, but I didn’t share his sentiments; for me, Ezra was far more attractive. I didn’t know if it was the sheer power she wielded or the way she carried herself like she ruled over everyone she encountered, even strangers that didn’t even know her yet.” His voice had taken a dreamy quality and he was smiling again, but it was wistful instead of charming or smug.

“..Did you love her?” Chris asked, and recalled how stunning she had been when ze had gotten to see her. At the time, ze had been too furious to notice, but she was a goddess among mortals in more ways that one. This didn’t change how ze thought of her, however, for ze was a goddex among mortals as well and ze knew that with all of her power, they were not equally matched.

“It’s a bit early in the story for that, but yes, I did love her.” He resumed the story with a touch of disappointment in his face. “She was my mentor in magic beyond what Mencheres had taught me. Most of what your father had shown me were spells to use in dire situations, ones that would most likely get the person performing them killed, or arrested and executed. That and in my early years with him, I wasn’t overly concerned with practicing much magic. I had found other things that called me to learn them. Ezra changed that for me. She showed me a side of magic that I hadn’t known existed; a practical, personal side that could be used for anything. She taught me about magic as a force, not just a fixed a set of spells that limited what a user could do. That made it addictive.”

So much of what he said was vague. He didn’t mention his age or hers when they met, what time it had been when this was happening, or any context for it all, but ze would accept what ze got out of this for now and made a mental note to ask him for more later on.

“I’m sure you know that there are different kinds of magic, dark, light, new, old, and everything in-between. That being said, there are also kinds with origins in worlds beyond our own. This world is not the only one; there are infinite more.” He looked straight at zir and answered zir questioning look by going on,”You have to open your mind, Chris. They touch one another, pressing up in a long line of lands, each just as real as the last. All have their own rules. Some have magic and some don’t. It’s just a fact. In our world, magic does not permeate the very fiber of existence the way it does in others, but it is a force here nonetheless. Magic made you possible.” He was smiling at zir now, with a wondrous shimmer in his eye. “Once I understood magic as a force that I could become a part of, everything changed. That’s when I began forming my own practice of portal magic and became the realm jumper that I still am.”

It was quite a bit to take in, especially with the personal aspect he included. Chris knew that zir parents had used extremely forbidden magic to conjure and create zir, but ze had not practiced it nearly as much as Mencheres did. In fact, most magic was actually against the law and with the title ze bore now, ze had just thought that it was impossible for zir to ever practice. Ze hadn’t ever considered the nuances of it or what it was used for in a daily sense, because the encounters ze’d had with it had been dangerous and mostly negative. That wasn’t even mentioning the fact that the man in front of zir had found a way to manipulate and punch holes in the fabric of existence itself to transcend the universe he was born in. It was all terrific and terrifying to consider.

Among the confusion and bewilderment swirling in zir mind, a thought solidified and brought zir back to the reason ze had wanted to speak with him in the first place.

“What does all of that have to do with you telling Ezra you support her in trying to kill my father?” Zir hands were planted on the ottoman, not crossed accusingly, and zir voice was level, not angry. Ze was going to do zir damnedest to not black out from anger again, because whatever answer he gave was important.

“Ah.” He smiled, like he knew something ze didn’t and nodded his head. “I knew you would bring that up eventually. It’s simple, really, I said what I had to in order to keep her happy with me.”

Chris was not satisfied with his answer in the least, but ze didn’t bite his head off immediately. “Why do you care whether she’s happy with you or not? Do you still love her?” The second question was unnecessary, but ze couldn’t stop it from slipping out.

Jefferson scrunched his face up a bit. “Why do you care about my feelings for her?”

So he did still feel something for her. Ze knew it. Of course. Ze hadn’t been expecting to suddenly be upset by this and ze knew that he could probably smell anger beginning to rise in zir, so ze gave an obvious answer to deflect whatever else was threatening to surface that ze wasn’t ready for. “Because she tried to kill me and my parents trusted you with my safety, so if your heart is still all twisted up over her, then this whole arrangement is not going to work.”

“That’s reasonable. But there isn’t a straight answer to your question. I did love her very, very much at one point, but that is no longer the case, however, as you probably noticed already, she isn’t entirely dead to me. I don’t favor our past relationship over your safety, if that’s your concern, but I do still feel for her.” He held out his hands. “Is that a good enough answer?”

At this point, ze wanted to stop talking about her completely, but he hadn’t answered zir first question and ze was not going to let him get away with it.

“Yes. So is that why it matters to you what she thinks of you?”

Jefferson shook his head immediately. “Not at all. Our affair meant that we’re for the most part still close and considered allies. I knew this fight between her and Mencheres was coming forever, so I have to protect my people first. I’m close to her and loyal to him, so I’m taking care of you for him and let her know that I won’t get in her way to keep her from going after my people and I. Being spread thin is never a good strategy, and you can’t keep everyone happy all the time, but I do a pretty decent job of it and I want to keep it that way. I was neutral in this fight up until Diana decided to jump the gun and go after you.”

“Wait, what?” Ze was confused now. It made sense that he would want to protect his line, it was his job as the master of one, but ze wasn’t sure what Diana had to do with all of this.

“I told Ezra that I cannot take sides or interfere, but that I support her fight for what she sees as justice. It wasn’t a promise, but words have meaning. When Diana went to attack you after Ezra cast that dream spell, I killed her. I got in the way of her doing what she needed in the war that is going on. That is plain, violent interference. For all intents and purposes, I took Mencheres’ side and fought for him when I did that, so I’m at war with her too now.” He said it all with little concern or worry in his voice. Either he genuinely didn’t care, or he was very good at acting.

It struck Chris to hear him say it outright; he had gone to war with a close ally and ex-lover for zir. That had to mean something and ze didn’t want to know what. “So..What does this mean for you?”

“A few things.” The ’s’ was longer than normal and a bit of a sigh. “Would you like to know why I was gone for three days?”

Ze looked up, keeping zir expression impassive as zir mind raced with possibilities. “Yes.”

“I was gathering my people and letting them know what happened. I’m sure you’ve noticed that no one else is living here even though it had more than enough space, yes?”

Ze nodded.

“This is one of my more secure homes. Normally that would mean I would bring more people, but that would draw attention and I have personal items and information kept here that would be detrimental to my line if they were found and taken, so for now, I’m keeping my people out of here. They’re doing what they must, arming themselves and preparing to come if I choose to call them, but Ezra has said nothing in regards to what I did, so nothing is confirmed at the moment.” He paused. “Does this alarm you at all?”

Ze said nothing, but knew that he could probably feel the worry, confusion, and surprise vibrating in the energy ze gave off already. “Yes, it does. I didn’t mean to drag you into all of this. I can handle myself, you know. I don’t need a bodyguard.” It came out more sad than forceful and defensive.

“What? Chris, you didn’t drag me into anything.” He sat beside zir and put an arm around zir shoulders. “I’ve come to consider you at the very least a friend. Your father brought me into this supernatural world. I owe him everything, so it is only fair that I take his side in this. But beyond that, I think you’re worth fighting for. I’m sure that you can fight for yourself. Not just anyone can get the title or reputation that you have, and the only way to do it is be being a warrior, but still. I want to be here just in case.” His voice had softened, but it still reverberated with resolve and sincerity, something that Chris noticed was happening more often when they spoke.

Ze stared at the elaborately woven rug on the floor to avoid looking him in the eyes. Ze was genuinely afraid of what ze would find in them at this point. Ze didn’t want to see what his words and comforting grasp had already told zir. Ze decided to not look up, not caring about how he may interpret it.

“Thank you...” It was all ze could conjure up to say at the moment. Ze leaned a bit into his side, then was forced to move when he slid off the ottoman and onto the floor. He pulled zir with him and hugged zir properly, wrapping his arms tightly around zir and pressing them together.

“You are always welcome,” he said into zir ear. “Whatever comes your way, I will be with you, even if you don’t need me there.”

A couple of weeks earlier, ze would have pushed him away and insisted that ze didn’t need him at all, or anyone else for that matter, but as of now, ze wasn’t sure that was the case anymore. Maybe it wasn’t even the promise of an ally that changed it either, there was something else there. Something that had laid dormant for far longer than ze had thought and ze was not ready for it to awaken.


	21. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This pretty short chapter sees Chris on their own again for a bit before they run into a couple of "friends" of Jefferson's. It looks like he's gotten himself into some trouble again. (This is the only time Killian and Emma appear, sorry!)

Another two days of being confined to the castle passed. Tension still hung in the air, but both dwellers of the home refused to address it. Instead they found ways to pass the time in order to avoid discomfort between the two of them and resist the urge to reach out and contact their allies, since to do so would be partially admitting defeat. Jefferson took zir on a tour, telling zir about the paintings, the kinds of wood that made up everything, the years when certain areas were completed, and what various rooms were used for. He answered calls from his people while ze read more in the library or cooked for zirself in the kitchen.

At one point, ze had gone outside and was followed by Jefferson with two steel swords that he claimed to have found inside. He offered to spar with zir just for the hell of it and they made a mess of multiple trees on the edge of the castle’s yard where the forest began. More than one tree fell and it didn’t take long for the swords to be discarded in favor of them punching away at each other with more than enough force to kill anyone weaker. They appeared to be evenly matched so long as ze didn’t use zir extra power. When the sun had set and they had tired each other out, they cracked up and dragged themselves back inside with the intention of resting off the healing injuries.

 

Chris woke first thing in the morning the next day after another dreamless night. By then, ze was far past restless. Ze hadn’t spoken to zir parents in over a week and Ezra had yet to say anything or send anyone after zir or Jefferson. To say the silence was unnerving was an understatement. Ze absolutely hated when this happened, when communication broke down or when everyone was planning against each other and ze was left out of the loop for whatever reason; if something terrible happened, all ze could do was react instead of being proactive and preparing.

Wearing holes in the expensive rug of the guest room ze had been sleeping in while the sky grayed in anticipation of dawn wasn’t going to do anything, so ze decided to go exploring a bit further than the surrounding forest. Ze felt like it was needed, like ze would find something important out in the city of Constanța that Jefferson had flown zir over on their way to his castle.

Ze painted zir lips red and dressed in lace up black boots, frayed denim shorts, a gray t-shirt that had been cut pff by some unknown person then stretched out by zir considerable bust, and an olive green short-sleeved jacket that wouldn’t make zir overheat in the sun of mid-September.

On the way to the front hall, zir dreadlocks braided themselves up along the center of zir head to form a mohawk of sorts that didn’t flap in the wind when ze leapt into the air and flew in the direction ze had come from several days earlier.

Dawn had just broken in a brilliant array of yellow and orange brought by the rising sun. It shone brightly in the blueing sky with no clouds to block its rays and bathed the trees below in vibrant light. Slowly, the dense forest began to thin slightly as small roads appeared, then they grew and the trees gradually gave way to grass and finally returned to mingle with concrete when ze reached the city.

The extreme difference between the pure, deep blue of the ocean and the city itself made up of pale buildings, some with orange and red slanted roofs, green trees, and varied architecture made both sides stand out. Small rocky beaches could be found nearby smaller docks that kept their distance from shipping cranes and the ships they tended to. As Chris landed, and began to walk the streets, ze noticed a clear difference between the old and new. Boxy modern buildings with clean glass windows and flat roofs stood apart from elegantly designed relics whose intricately carved stones had long lost their color or white perfection. One felt as though they were stepping in and out of time from street to street. Even the sidewalks varied, ranging between stone laid out in repetitive patterns and blank concrete. It all had a beauty to it; old mixing with new.

Chris stopped in a corner cafe by the shore for pastries and coffee before setting out to find whatever it was that had drawn zir to the city. The Black Sea reached out with salty fingers of wind to brush along zir cheeks and push zir jacket back, providing light relief from the already intense sunlight. There were enough people out in the early morning for zir to not stick out completely, but with zir hair and general eye-catching appearance, it was hard to blend in. However, this was not a stealth mission. Ze didn't entirely know why ze had decided to go and without Jefferson, a native of the country who could provide guidance, ze was basically lost and wandering. That didn't stop zir from getting some enjoyment out of it, though. It was nice to stretch zir legs and be outside with fresh air and new people, even if they were strangers. Ze offered small smiles to the people that stared at zir, some vaguely offended by zir style of dress, while others would have preferred ze wear even less. It didn't affect zir much to hear their internal chatter, whether it was positive or negative. At least not anymore.

The National History Museum was where ze ended up and ze decided to go in after admiring its design; stone columns topped by perfect arches stood together to hold up a balcony on one side, narrow rounded windows lined up along the two upper floors before the slanted roof made up of red shingles that had smaller square windows peeking out at passersby every few yards. At the very top was a small round tower with a single spire protruding from it that perhaps held a flag once. The entrance was inviting, one massive stone archway settled below three more held up by stone columns whose pale color matched the rest of the proud structure.

Ze resumed wandering around the inside, pausing every so often to read plaques and observe installations or paintings that told stories of the land's long history from when it was established well over two thousand years earlier until its recent interactions with the rest of the world. Preserved statues that had been found in archaeological digs stood in cases alongside artistic representations of tribes that had settled the land thousands of years earlier and eventually built the seaside city.

Ze was in the back of the ancient history wing when a tingle in the air ze had never felt before snapped zir out of zir intellectual trance. There were two of them, both vampires, and one was a Master.

Two pairs of shoes clicked on the tiled floor in perfect sync as the new visitors entered. They approached Chris without hesitation.

An accented voice spoke, sounding very similar to the cockney one Bones had. "Night Vale, fancy meeting you here."

Shit. Maybe this is why I'm here. Is there an escape route that wouldn't involve me damaging anything? Chris turned and met the man speaking with a neutral expression and voice. "Perhaps. And you are?"

The man was a few inches shorter than zir, but that didn't matter with the energy he gave off. His dark brown hair trailed down to his cheeks and chin in a carefully tended beard that made his sun-beaten skin look pale by comparison. Sea-blue eyes regarded zir for a moment, his thoughts quickly taking in the tattoo peeking out on zir right shoulder, a obvious lack of weapons on zir, and whether or not their current location was secure as he bowed, slightly wrinkling his dark button-up shirt that he had paired with black pants and shoes. "Killian Jones at your service, officer."

He gestured to the woman beside him with a small smile. "This is my partner, Emma Swan." Killian's partner was a short woman with a petite frame, long, dazzling blond hair, and light blue eyes. She was dressed in plain summer clothes, a white blouse and denim shorts, that wouldn't attract much attention. She had a determined way about her and a look on her pretty face that reminded zir far too much of zir mother Kira. Ze liked her already.

"We just happened to be in the area on a short trip and were wondering if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of one Jefferson Aquila? We know that the two of you have been courting for about a year, surely you would not be in his home country without him."

It wasn't that the two of them seemed all that dubious, but starting right of the bat with the question after they approached zir as soon as they entered the room raised a red flag. Ze remained outwardly impassive as ze scanned their minds. Unfortunately, they appeared to be skilled. Their thoughts didn't give away any relevant information aside from what had already been said. Ze decided to play things safe. "I do not, sorry. We were supposed to meet here so he could show me around, but he hasn't shown up. I don't know if something came up or he got busy, but he's not here." Vague enough to not raise their suspicions further, yet half-truthful enough to avoid accusations of lying.

Ze listened to the two of them process this, Emma recalling when they had apparently met Jefferson before. She did not like him. Killian's thoughts differed, rethinking his strategy on continuing to question zir.

Chris decided to beat him to it. "May I ask why you're looking for him?" The politeness was a front, as it was borderline illegal to deny an Enforcer's request and even more reprehensible to lie, so ze was hoping they feared the law as most paranaturals did and would answer zir.

Killian smiled a perfectly white, toothy grin. "Of course. The sod is an old friend of mine. He's gotten tied up in some trouble recently and I'm looking to see if some rumors I'm hearing are true," he said, and was being friendly enough that ze didn't want to walk off right away, yet ze could tell by how he carried himself that he was dangerous. He was most likely another mercenary, those buggers were hard to trace back through lines and would do most anything for generous payment.

"What kind of rumors?" Ze pressed further, wanting to see if he would circle back and deny what he'd said, or come up with a fake story as ze had. Ultimately it wouldn't matter. Ze had already heard Regina's name in his mind. That was all ze really needed to tell Jefferson if ze wanted to know what was going on.

"Another friend of his, Regina, suspects that he has stolen some prized property of hers and she wants it back. Again, we're just here to see if this is true and sort things out with him. It's a nasty time to be at odds with anyone given the old Guardian Radjedef's return and what he's started with your father, after all." His concern seemed genuine, but Chris was not about to go back on the half lie ze had already told.

Ze nodded in understanding. "That is true. If he shows up, I'll let you know you're looking for him."

Emma decided to chime in for the first time in the conversation. "That would be helpful, although you could always take it upon yourself to look. If the rumors are true, he's broken the law and you enforce it, don't you?"

"I do. I'll see if I can find him and see if Regina is being honest. I cannot file a report and waste a Guardian's time without hard proof."

Killian nodded almost solemnly. "Of course not. And he's bloody good at hiding, it may take time for you to catch up with him. We'll be on the lookout." He extended a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, officer."

Chris took his hand and shook it firmly, testing the level of energy that shot up zir arm once they came in contact; ze could take him in a fight, no problem.

Emma held out her hand once ze let him go. "Pleasure," she said, with a small smile that ze returned.

The two of them wasted no time in leaving the way they came and the gallery was empty except for zir once again to think over the exchange and try to form a plan.

Jefferson..What the fuck did you do..


	22. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris confronts Jefferson about what they've heard and he makes a shaky plan along with Mencheres. Apparently two major enemies are not enough to deal with already.

There were a few strategies that Chris could employ. None of them were faultless, but ze could not act as though nothing had happened. Even if Regina was lying, which ze was almost positive that she was, these accusations still put Jefferson in danger. No evidence meant that Regina in fact could not bring the issue to an Enforcer or Guardian, but she could put a hit out on her ex or pit more people against him.

That was it. Ze made up zir mind. The war with Ezra still raged, even if it was silent at the moment, but ze was indebted to Jefferson after his defending zir from Diana and taking zir into his private home in order to keep zir safe. Even if ze was perfectly fine on zir own, ze owed him for that.

Chris resumed zir wandering in the museum to avoid leading Killian and Emma straight to Jefferson after explicitly telling them that ze didn't know where he was. Ze was no longer engrossed in the knowledge offered by the exhibits, but feigned interest anyway. After another hour of mindlessly staring at plaques and scanning pamphlets, ze bought a key chain that ze spun around zir finger as ze walked out the front of the museum again.

The sun was high in the sky now and beating down on the city and people milling about. The monuments and famous tourist attractions that drew throngs of people to them were no longer tempting to Chris. Ze wanted to leave as soon as possible, but that would blow zir cover. Perhaps the city had something else to offer that could distract zir while ze bided zir time.

It was a couple of more hours before Chris felt comfortable with making zir way to the edge of the city. By then ze had worked zirself up into a frenzy of calculation and analysis. Even if Killian was being honest regarding his concern with Jefferson, that didn't explain how clean and clear his mind had been or how deeply Emma disliked the man they were after. There were too many holes in the vague story Killian had given zir in the exchange for zir to be confident about any theories. In all honesty, ze didn't know any of the people involved very well aside from Jefferson, which made it more frustrating. Here was another situation where ze had to wait on someone else to decide what would happen to zir and those close to zir, friend, acquaintance, or otherwise.

Unable to wait any longer, ze ran into the forest, going from a distinct figure to a blur of color that vanished into thin air. Ze practically flew along the ground alongside highways that led out of the city. Soon enough, ze was a completely off the ground, zir body pointed and streamlined as ze searched for Jefferson mentally. Ze locked in on his location, his sleeping image crystal clear in zir mind's eye. His energy became a magnet that drew zir closer to him and soon ze was full-on airborne, moving too fast for a human eye to trace or lock onto. Ze crossed over fields and passed above trees before finally the forest was all ze could see.

Ze slowed down enough to prevent breaking anything, unlocking and opening the castle doors with a dismissive wave of zir hand that had the carved wood pieces swinging outward, then back inward once ze was inside. Ze ran to the master bedroom upstairs where ze knew Jefferson was sleeping.

Had the situation been any different, ze would have taken a moment to appreciate the design of the room's classical layout. Stone walls joined in a vaulted ceiling with wood beams, dark floors like the rest of the castle with red and black carpet, an enormous bed with a frame to hold up the tied yellow drapes that complemented the earth tone bedding that Jefferson had ruffled and dislodged in his sleep. Ze noticed the tv resting atop the large stone fireplace and wondered if he had stayed up all night after their sparring instead of sleeping. It was past three in the afternoon and ze knew that vampires did not need all that much sleep to function. Or maybe he was just comfortable and lazy and didn't feel like getting up.

Either way ze was going to wake him, so it didn't really matter.

He looked so peaceful in his sleep, his boyish features making him seem even younger when they were relaxed instead of fixed in a seductive pout or smug grin. His dark hair was a spiky mess, as per usual, only some areas were more smoothed down than others, no doubt due to the positions he slept in. His red lips were closed and his straight nose never moved to welcome air. In fact, he looked more like a detailed statue than a person with his fit, slender body resting more uncovered by the tousled sheets than hidden and the stillness that most all paranaturals had as he lay spread out on his back. With no heartbeat or breath, and that flawless shimmer that paranaturals got after their rebirth, there was no denying that he was completely inhuman.

Chris was a bit agitated at how Jefferson could still draw abnormal reactions from zir even in his fucking sleep, but that didn't matter at the moment. Ze took ahold of his shoulders, feeling that signature energy run up zir arms in powerful bolts, and shook him. "Jefferson, wake up. Now. We have to talk." Ze wasn't about to yell at him, but zir tone was urgent as ze continued to jerk his limp form back and forth.

Finally life sprang back into him and his eyes fluttered open. He looked confused for a moment at being awoken, but that soon left him when he saw that Chris was holding him. He offered zir a sidelong smile. "What..?" His voice was still hoarse from sleep.

"We have to talk. Regina's trying to start shit with you and she's already sent two people your way." Ze let go of him and straightened, towering over him as he flopped back onto his fluffy pillows.

"Really? Who did she send? Victor? The Dark One?" He asked, his words losing their slur as the rest of his consciousness returned to him.

"A man and woman named Killian and Emma," ze said.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I haven't heard from Killian in a few months. We got together, the three of us a short while ago. What did they want me for?"

Chris was about to speak when he gestured for zir to come closer to him. Ze wasn't going to lie beside him when he was clearly naked under the sheets that he still had yet to adjust so they actually covered him, so ze knelt on the floor and folded zir hands on the bed. "Regina is claiming that you stole important property from her, what kind was not specified. Killian said that he was looking for you to see if the rumors were true and asked me for your whereabouts. I didn't want to put you in danger if she was planning something malicious, so I half-lied my way out of it to bide you time. She very well may put a hit out on you or falsify evidence to build a case."

Jefferson smiled again. "Aw, what are you worried about me or something? I'll be fine. Regina is all bark and no bite with me. She'll make it seem like she's building something big, but in the end I either prove to be too irresistible or to valuable for her to get rid of me for good." He folded his arms behind his head, arching his back and stretching out. "Don't fret."

Ze opened zir mouth to argue with him, when zir phone rang, displaying that an unknown number was calling. Ze picked up. "Hello?"

Zir father’s voice spoke on the other side of the call. "Chinoe, is Jefferson there?" Was Mencheres serious? The first time he talks to his child in a week and the first thing he does is ask where a thief was?

Chris handed Jefferson the phone and he answered with one hand still tucked behind his head.

"Master, you wish to speak with me?" He was being so formal. Ze wondered if it was out of respect or just a habit of adapting to the ancient vampire on the other side of the phone.

"Bones received a troubling phone call an hour ago. Killian Jones and his partner Emma Swan are searching for you to verify rumors that have been circulating. Regina has been claiming that you stole property from her and has video of you at her home from a few weeks ago. She has already begun to formulate a case against you so that Enforcers may prosecute. Are these claims true?" The ex-pharaoh's voice was monotone except for when he was asking the question. His voice never gave anything away unless he wanted it to.

"Of course not. What night is the footage from?" he asked, not moving from his place in the bed still while Chris paced back and forth, staying close enough to listen to the two of them.

"If I recall correctly, it was the evening you met Chinoe at a local festival or carnival. I had spoken to them before they left to meet with you."

Chris remembered the night with perfect clarity and immediately zir suspicions were proved correct. Ze grinned. There was no way Regina's claims would hold up in court.

"I couldn't have stolen anything from her that night. I was on my way to meet Chris when she showed up at the house I was renting and held me up for three hours. Chris wanted to kill me for that. I took them to a hotel to tell them about her, then went back to my house. My housekeeper and the humans I keep there can verify that I was there until morning after that and Chris is an Enforcer who can back up the rest of my claim. Regina is lying." Jefferson sounded more annoyed than concerned and his body language reflected that as he was still lying on his back, one leg bent up while the other splayed out. He looked perfectly unfazed by the situation.

Was he right about The Evil Queen bluffing or was he underestimating her? It was hard for Chris to tell when ze hadn't even really met her before. Ze wanted to trust his word, but he was not the most credible and ze wasn't sure if listening to him was a wise choice.

"I will gather my witnesses and wait for her to make the first move. I don't care about her accusations; she can come to me if she has a problem," he said, open defiance in his voice.

"Very well. I must go, we believe that our lines may be tapped soon." Mencheres hung up before either of them could speak.

Chris looked to Jefferson. "You really think she's completely bluffing?"

He sat up and held out zir phone, dropping his arm when ze took it. "I don't know, but if push comes to shove, I can take her. Besides, I have you with me now." He smiled. "I doubt there's anything that can defeat us both."

Chris had to agree he was correct and nodded. "I guess." Both. That didn't guarantee his safety at all. Ze had a bad feeling about this and his lack of concern over all that was going on was making it worse.


	23. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is primarily for another change in location. That and Chris nearly makes a confession. Looks like Jefferson will have to wait again, though.

Jefferson flung off the covers and sat up. “I think it’s high time that we take another short trip. How do you feel about Canada?”

Chris averted zir gaze from him and looked at zir phone. “It’s very pretty, why? Is that our next destination? I thought you didn’t care about Regina’s threats.”

He combed a hand through his mussed hair as he stood. “I don’t, but I think it would be best if we weren’t so close to where the cruise docked. There’s no doubt that news of what happened to Diana has reached her Master and more paranaturals by now.”

“Does Ezra know about this home?” Chris asked, looking him straight in the eyes. Do not look down..

Thankfully he didn’t stay in place, passing Chris to walk to his french closet doors so he could open them and pick clothes. “She doesn’t know the exact location, but she does know that this is my native country. It is more likely than not that she’s already looking for us here.”

Chris looked around the rest of the room, tapping zir hand against the side of zir before beginning to slowly wander back and forth next to the bed. "Do you have another house there?"

He pulled on a pair of gray jeans and searched for a shirt. Of course he was going commando. "I do, in fact. And it’s even less known than this one. Only a handful of people have been there aside from the humans that I have watching it and feeding me in it. It's a safehouse of sorts." He pulled a plain black t-shirt over his head and slid a belt into the loops in his pants. "I have a friend with a private jet that owes me a favor as well. We can be there by tomorrow morning at the latest." He pulled on socks and a pair of black ankle boots before he turned around, his full lips curled at the edges. "What do you say?"

Curse him. Curse him for his sweet smile, that crazy glint in his eyes that never seemed to leave no matter what his mood was, the waves of energy that he had decided to stop hiding from zir and instead let caress zir whenever ze was near to him. And curse how deeply he had managed to lodge himself beneath zir skin.

Ze shrugged. "Whatever works. I'm sure you know what you're doing." It took actual effort for zir to not say it sarcastically. It wasn't that ze doubted him necessarily, but ze was not going to let him know how much he had lately been chipping the wall ze had erected to keep him out.

"Perfect. I'll make the call. And there's no need to pack. If the clothes I have there don't fit you, I can make alterations," he said, swiping his phone off of the night table where it had been charging and walking out of the master bedroom with zir in tow.

It took a moment for zir to figure out why he would know how to do that when ze remembered his well-known nickname and cursed under zir breath. The character he was named after had been zir favorite growing up, especially after their first time meeting and he had told zir about his time spent in the real Wonderland. Ze hadn't thought about that night in ages.

The two of them had a couple of hours to kill before the jet would be ready and waiting on a strip of land in the nearby countryside, so Jefferson helped zir cook a late lunch, or early dinner, depending on how you looked at it. The fresh pasta dough he had stored in one of his cabinets took longer to roll out than they had originally estimated what with how often he forgot to put flour on it to keep it from getting stuck in the roller and tearing into dry pieces. Eventually ze had a large full plate that ze took to the dining room and ate while Jefferson went on about his tailoring skills; it had come up while they were cooking and they switched topics so quickly it had been forgotten in the midst of tending the pasta so it didn't burn.

 

Chris got to meet Jefferson's friend Alliel before they boarded the plane and was impressed by the woman's experience as a pilot that included military service and commercial flights. When ze asked why she did it so often as a job, she replied in an accented voice that she was never happier than in the sky and that controlling a giant metal bird was a power trip.

They had just enough fuel in the jet to make it to their destination if they remained at cruising speed, which would make the flight twelve straight hours long.

Chris pulled up a horror movie on the tv inside and soon had a steady stream of critical commentary going that made Jefferson double over. Ze was completely unimpressed with the characters' lack of sense and couldn't stand the blatant holes that were found in the story's plot. Making Jefferson laugh had not been zir intention, but ze wasn't going to complain that he was agreeing.

When the movie ended, ze turned off the tv and looked over to him. "Hey Jefferson, can I ask you something?"

He swiped at his eyes and sniffed a bit, his teeth still bared in a smile. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Do you have any more stories like the ones you told me when we met the first time?"

He regarded zir with surprise. "You remember that still? That was so long ago!"

Chris laughed a bit. "You changed my life with that crystal and your stories. I never looked at the world the same way knowing that there were more out there for sure. Reading fantasy books was completely different after meeting you." Ze was leaning on the armrest of zir chair that was nearest to him, though about five feet still separated their seats.

He clicked his tongue and flicked his hand at zir. "Aw, that's so sweet of you."

"I mean it. I've never been able to forget that night. Do you know how many times I read Alice in Wonderland after that and heard your voice in my head?" Ze didn't know what was compelling zir to tell him all of this, but zir mouth didn't seem to be inclined to stop anytime soon.

He chuckled. "I'm glad I made such an impression on you. I'll admit, your curious behavior struck me quite a bit. And you were so little, I couldn't believe it when I saw you again." He gestured up and down, his gaze sweeping over zir. "What happened? You're so.." He trailed off and shook his head, throwing his arms up. "There aren't fucking words for you."

Ze didn't know if he meant it, but it made zir smile anyway. "Of course there aren't. There never have been." On some level perhaps it hurt zir to so flippantly summarize a short life of alienation, utter confusion, and disconnects with basic things that everyone else seemed to do naturally.

Jefferson must have picked up on some of that somberness and waved at zir until ze met his eyes. "Hey, that's not a bad thing, you know. It's fitting with how you are as a person, powerful or otherwise. And to answer your earlier question-" Right, ze had wanted to hear a story, not get sucked into a spiral of questioning zir identity and legitimacy as a being. "-I have many more stories. Pick a land and I'll tell you one."

 

It was amazing how fast time passed when you were occupied. Between more stories and movies, as well as a few friendly debates about various forms of law, both of them had kept up a steady stream of chatter. Chris wasn't even sleepy when Alliel let Jefferson know that they would be landing soon. It had been twelve hours already?

They landed in a small town with a tiny airport an hour before dawn.

Jefferson thanked Alliel, ruffling her short black hair before she could swat him away. Chris gave her a hug, squeezing her slightly when she crushed zir in a supernaturally strong grip.

The two of them made it to the edge of the town on foot. Jefferson liked Alliel, but not enough to give away the direction his house was in. It was several miles before they both sprang into the air and into the graying sky.

They flew over scattered houses and forests, miles of green passing beneath them before the vague crooked shadows on the horizon were revealed to be mountains in the emerging dawn light. Slightly snowy caps reflected the light that melted them into the growing blue mass beneath them. On the very edge of the divide between pure green and pure blue, was a black mass that grew and took shape as the two approached.

The house looked more like a hotel with its many pieces that included a covered walkway and full porch in addition to several sections with slanted roofs. It was a blend of classic and modern, stripes adorning most of the outside where there wasn't stone. There were plenty of rectangular windows neatly arranged in different areas of the front. The covered walkway led up to the red brick staircase to the french doors of the front entrance.

The two of them made their way inside, kicking their shoes off into a tray to the side of the door by a filled coat rack against the wall. The house was tastefully decorated with a monochrome rug on the hardwood floor, abstract paintings on the walls that stood on either side of a wide staircase leading up into the house. On both sides of them were more rooms that connected separate parts of the house.

As they made their way up the marble steps, Chris thought about how ze was always too tired to explore like ze wanted to when traveling with him as of late. All ze wanted to do was sleep and ze was sure that he wanted the same thing.

Jefferson led zir down a few halls with striped wallpaper and white wood paneling along half of the walls to a room with purple walls and a square black platform where a large white bed rested among other black furniture like the dresser and a desk with a matching black swivel chair. "You can sleep here. I'm going to get something to eat then I'm calling it a night."

"Don't you mean calling it a day?" Chris said before ze could stop zirself. Dammit, ze got stupid when ze was tired.

Jefferson smiled at the quip. "Yes." He turned to leave when Chris grabbed his arm and he looked over his shoulder at zir.

"Wait. We have to take care of this Regina problem, okay?" Zir tone, like zir grip on him, was firm.

He turned again to face zir fully. "Why?"

It was not good for ze to be talking when ze was sleepy like this, ze couldn't filter when zir energy was low. "Because I already have shit to worry about with Ezra and Radjedef and I don't need her being a problem too. Besides-" And here was where zir wished that zir mind wasn't foggy with lack of sleep. "-You looked out for me on that cruise and I owe you one. I appreciate what you're doing, okay? A lot. I need to do this for you."

Jefferson inclined his head and took a step closer to zir, closing the space between them so their noses nearly touched. His gaze was intense, as per usual, but it was swimming with so many different emotions at once that ze couldn't keep up. "I understand." He broke their eye contact to glance at zir lips for the briefest moment before staring into zir eyes again. "We can talk about it all tomorrow. You're right, we don't need more problems."

Chris needed to get away from him. The air around them both was crackling with tension and ze was equally tense with anticipation. Ze could practically feel his lips on zir already from when ze had grabbed him and claimed them to assert dominance over Diana a week earlier. Ze wanted to feel that again.

"I'm tired, I should probably get some sleep." Ze turned around and walked to the bed, moving the pillows aside to pull the blankets back.

Jefferson's disappointment was palpable as he said,"Yes, you should. Goodnight, Chris. I'll see you tomorrow."

As ze drifted off to sleep alone and in the dark, ze wondered if ze would sleep better with someone to hold.


	24. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris gets some updates from their mom and spends a day alone, contemplating all that's happened before a bomb gets dropped on them.

It was dark again. Not the same all-encompassing darkness that had suffocated Chris in zir dream, just the regular, ordinary darkness of dusk. The blackout curtains had no light to block out as they guarded the tall bulletproof windows across from the monochrome bed setup that ze had slept on, and fitfully as it turned out; two out of the four pillows were on the light brown carpet and the sheets were for the most part off the bed before getting yanked back up by the person they were supposed to be covering.

The sole occupant of the room took in zir surroundings for a moment, the monochrome theme of the furniture and peculiar starry sky ceiling fixture was contrasted by the lavender walls and lights above the bed. Even with the lights off, ze could see the light purple paint and felt at home; purple was zir favorite color.

For a moment, ze could have sworn that some of the paint melted off the wall to float lazily above zir head, but when ze focused on it, it vanished completely.

Perhaps ze really wasn't sleeping enough, but now that ze was awake, ze knew that there was no way ze would be able to sleep again without doing something. Instead of idly lying around for any longer, ze slid onto the black platform below the bed and stepped off of it toward the wall to the left of the bed that was covered in floor to ceiling mirrors and pushed them aside.

The walk-in closed had purple walls and white shelves filled with shoes, accessories, folded up pants, and shirts. Racks of clothes in every style hung perfectly still, awaiting a wearer.

Chris stepped in, flexing zir toes against the soft light brown carpet and sifted through them. Ze settled on a purple polo shirt that closely hugged zir flat chest and muscles, the theme of the room influencing zir to pair it with black jeans. Ze picked a random pair of black socks and stepped out. The door slid shut behind zir so ze could look in the mirror. Ze swept zir thigh-length dreadlocks in front of zir and rolled a couple of them between zir fingers. Ze narrowed zir eyes and moved them back again.

The bathroom was pretty, the different styles built into its design reminding zir of the house's owner. Around the white sink laid atop a dark brown wood cabinet with a matching mirror frame was cream-colored paint. Beside the sink was a glass shower that had horizontal grey stones making up the walls and a pebble pattern on the floor. On the wall past where the shower ended was a large window with a floral patterned shade that fit with the large white bathtub directly in front of it. Aside from the shower, the floor was light brown wood. Every piece of the room was different from every other one, but somehow they held together and looked perfectly fine. Perhaps that meant something.

Chris turned on the two metal lights beside the mirror and looked zirself over. Everything appeared to be in order, large almond-shaped green eyes, dark skin, barely visible freckles dusting zir face, a proud, sloping nose that boasted of zir Egyptian heritage, full, plump lips, and a strong jaw that was often set in some form of a disapproving expression, high cheekbones and arched brows. Ze looked up at the dreadlocs that ze had gotten and ducked down, rummaging in the cabinet below. Sure enough, there was an electric clipper inside that plugged into the outlet beside the mirror.

Ze turned it on and stared zirself down in the mirror for a moment before turning it on, its buzz shattering the silence of the evening as ze put it to work shearing off the long pieces of hair. As they fell to the ground, their color faded and their form morphed, melting them into a glittering black puddle that seeped into zir socks and vanished. Once zir head was bare and there was no hair framing zir face, ze turned the clipper off and put it down. Now came the hard part.

Ze focused on the top of zir head where it felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted, and pictured hair sprouting from there. In zir mind, that image of an unattainable, unbearably beautiful colored horizon that screamed for zir to become engulfed in it appeared and ze latched onto it. Slowly, spiky hair began to sprout from there, short strands of violets, reds, and blues grew into longer ones, soon to pour down zir back in a wavy, curly cascade. A waterfall of silken color spilled to zir hips at zir command, draping across zir shoulders and ceasing where carefully kept dreadlocks had been just minutes before.

Chris shook the new strands out and watched them toss before settling down. Not quite right. There was too much.  
Ze found a comb and parted it, separating a section on the left side of zir head. The clipper was put to work again, shaving the area until only skin remained. The chunk of hair melted into zir hand as ze looked over zir work with a small smile. Perfect.

 

"You're sure that no one else has this number?" Kira's voice was firm and demanding, authority clear in it even with the crackly reception.

"I'm positive, Mama. And even if they did, no one would be able to make out what we're saying anyway. I'm literally in the middle of nowhere," Chris assured her, pacing around the downstairs media room ze had stumbled across while on the way to the kitchen. The flip phone given to zir by the Guardians that ze never went anywhere without had rang, except zir mother Kira's voice had come through instead of a Guardian's. Ze wasn't entirely sure how she managed to get the number, but if she was calling on it, something important was going on and her snooping was not relevant.

"There's been a development with whatever this Regina woman is trying to do. We haven't heard from Ezra or Radje and they haven't been seen in some time, so we're honestly bracing for the worst. We have no idea what they're preparing for us." She sounded more defiant than worried about it, but it was clearly cause for concern even if they weren't sure what was coming.

"I'll keep that in mind. Whatever they're planning has to be big if they're being so careful. I never trusted Ezra, and Radje just sounded awful from all the stuff you, Father, Dad, and Mom told me about it." The names ze used for them had become a habit over the years; even though ze used their actual names when discussing them with other people, it didn't feel right to do the same with them. "What is Regina doing?" Maybe this time Chris would be the one that would get to save Jefferson's life instead of the other way around.

"She's got evidence. It's video, which is easily fabricated, but whatever she did is working. She's going to a Guardian with it. We think it's Leviticus, which is bad news. He's never liked our family or Jefferson for that matter. If he seeks you and Jefferson out, you're going to have to make a case and testify. He should trust your word as an Enforcer over hers, but you never know. Watch out, okay?" Kira was matter of fact up until the last sentence. That was when her voice softened and the concern she felt as zir mother emerged.

Chris smiled, stepping onto the black and red patterned couch in zir socks and walking across its cushions. "I will, Mama. Say hi to the others for me? Tell them that I'm doing okay." Ze knew that time was of the essence and they couldn't spend much time on the phone lest someone tap in or figure out their signal, even if the line was secure. Ze always missed them. No matter how much time ze spent away from them in school, in training, or even in dangerous situations like this, ze could never shake that homesick feeling of wanting to be back with them. They meant support, security and safety. Even if ze was an adult and wasn't supposed to rely on them anymore, it didn't hurt to feel like ze had someone looking out for zir.

"I will, sweetie. We'll see you soon, I promise," she said before hanging up and letting a monotone drone replace her voice on the other side of the phone line.

Chris shut the phone and tucked it into zir pants pocket. There was that feeling again, this vague sinking in zir gut that demanded attention. It didn't always mean something bad, but it almost always preceded significant events. Mencheres had told zir that it is similar to the visions; an ability and intuition that must be listened to. Ze glanced at the flat screen tv mounted in front of a thin red curtain that led to an open entertainment room meant for dancing and decided against turning it on and trying to numb zir anxious mind with shows. Ze walked up the shiny white staircase and back to the ground floor of the house.

Ze wandered the ground floor passing the mudroom with boots lined up on a tray beside a wood bench that looked handmade and up to the stairs that, if ze remembered properly, would take zir to one of the sitting rooms.

This particular one had more of that black and white theme, white couch on a black rug, black and white forest wallpaper, a small white birch tree in a black pot, a white lamp atop a shiny black grand piano nearby the white fireplace whose image reflected on a black glass coffee table. The only splashes of color came in the form of another abstract painting on the wall and red throw pillows. Against the wall was a black table with stacks of old and browning books next to a bass and cello.

The piano and other instruments caught zir attention right away. Ze didn't peg Jefferson for the musical type. Sure he had played a couple of songs on the electric piano ze had in zir penthouse back in New York, but there were instruments everywhere now that ze thought about it; a bass guitar in the media room below a round painting of space, an acoustic guitar in a room that ze had passed with the door open, and ze was fairly certain there had been a flute case in one of the other rooms. What else could ze learn about Jefferson from this house?

Ze pulled the piano's bench out and sat, looking down at the pristine black and white keys. Ze tapped a few of them in a random pattern and found that it reminded zir of a song ze knew, so ze set out playing it. The poignant, melancholy melody carried out of the room and down the hall throughout the rest of the floor. Ze pressed harder down on the keys, feeling zir frustrations bubble up as the song's climax neared. It was over too quickly and zir didn't want to slow zir momentum down, so ze blended the ending into another song that sounded similar. Ze played through song after song, zir arms tense and jaw clenched. With the sky dark, only the lamp on the piano illuminated the keys and made zir hands visible. Ze stepped down hard on the pedal and played on, fingers leaping and flying across the keys as ze leaned in toward them. Zir hair spilled over zir shoulders and onto the keys only to be whipped back with a flick of zir neck.

Chris had no idea how much time passed before the swelling rush of passion that had suddenly overtaken zir faded, but once it did, ze felt emptied out and calm. Ze was going to solve this problem with Regina and get her out of the way goddammit. Ze was not going to be fighting two wars at once, especially when one was based on a blatant lie. With that on zir mind, ze decided to seek Jefferson out and speak with him. He knew Regina best, he would know what to do.

It was easy to find the vampire now that he no longer masked his impressive aura around zir. Ze followed that invisible trail through the dark house, up the stairs to the attic that ze hadn't bothered to explore yet. A bolted wooden door greeted zir at the top of the stairs, keeping zir from reaching the source of the energy trembling in the air. It felt off and ze wasted no time in waving zir hand up in a sweeping motion that forced the door to open.

The closed off area of the house was dark and smelled like old wood, books, and something else that was most definitely familiar, though Chris couldn't identify it. A short hall with three closed doors beckoned zir inside.

The first door to the left revealed a room filled with..Hats? Stacked in rows and piled in corners were just hats of every size, shape, and variety. There were no supplies for making them and no shelves or tables. They filled the room, covering the floor so completely that ze couldn't see if it was wood or carpet. Since it was empty of the home's owner, ze shut the door and crossed the hall to a lone door that had that unmistakable tingle behind it.

Chris pushed it open and was greeted with a large room with wood floors and a slanted roof. Three small square windows opened up to allow sight of the Rocky Mountains outside, towering over the rest of the land in the dark. On one side was what looked like a work area with a table covered in metal tools and pieces of fabric. Books were scattered all over the floor along with garments as varied as the hats in the room across the hall. On the opposite side was the home's owner, lying in a nest of blankets and pillows that filled the slanted corner of the room.

He had a large hardcover book in his hands with an intricate three-dimensional design on its cover and thick yellowing pages that he slowly turned over with delicate care. His eyes were alight with mischief and desire, for what it was hard to discern, but he scanned each page that he saw with purpose before stopping and raising the book to his face, its cover facing his lap. He puckered his lips and blew out.

A yellow dust cloud rose from the pages, sparkling with light cast from nowhere. When a large cloud had gathered in front of his face, he murmured something too quiet to make out and watched the yellow bleed into violet. Smoke. That purple smoke.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, the cloud flowing into his nostrils and filling his insides. When he opened his eyes again, they were glowing a violet brighter than that of the smoke and his pupils were dilated enough to make them appear black if it wasn't for that light they emitted. The flash of unusual color vanished once the cloud was gone and he raised his eyes to look at the visitor staring at him with a mixture of horror and astonishment. His only reply was to give zir a toothy cat's grin as the book vanished from his hands.


	25. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jefferson has finally had enough of his hiding from Chris and decides to tell them everything that they and the majority of people who know Jefferson don't know. Then they decide to change things between them. (Personally, this one the chapter I looked forward to writing the most.)

This wasn’t real. This wasn’t happening. Any second now Chris would wake up and find that this was all just a vivid dream. That purple smoke wasn’t supposed to be possible. It didn’t belong in this world. Magic like that, especially as he was using it, was treacherous.

As soon as the book disappeared, Jefferson moved one leg from its position beneath the other. That was the only movement he made before he was in front of zir, crossing the room in a flash. That manic grin was still on his face as he faced zir, their faces inches apart.

As alarming as his behavior was, his sudden movement didn’t bother zir. The source of zir uneasiness was his energy. Since that mysterious cloud vanished into him, his aura had been changing, the power in it steadily growing until it felt like the house would erupt with the force of it.

Jefferson said nothing as he ever so slowly raised a hand to Chris’ face and dragged a fingertip along zir jaw, watching ze turn zir head away from his hand. This prompted him to slide his hand around to the back of zir neck, drawing zir closer.

If either of them breathed, they would be sharing air at this point. This had to stop. Whatever he was doing could not be good with the terrible smile still stretching his face. Chris dared not flinch when surges of electricity greater than bolts of lightning shot through zir face and neck from his touch. Ze clenched zir fists then raised a hand, pressing it against his chest, over his heart, as an unspoken warning when he spoke.

“Goddex..Why do you do this to me?” He sighed it out, his breath smelling like that odd smoke. His teeth were bared still, but his fangs had yet to emerge.

Chris met his eyes and saw so many emotions swirling in them ze almost got lost. What his grin was for, ze didn’t know, because his eyes were sad, more deeply so than ze had ever seen them. Despite this, ze found that ze was holding zirself still the way prey does when it doesn’t want to be spotted by a predator. No matter what sorrow he was holding onto, ze could still feel the presence of a hungry beast thrashing just beneath the surface of his skin.

“You,” his eyes finally dropped, looking zir over slowly before meeting zirs again, “Have been killing me little by little for so long and you haven’t cared at all for it...” He pulled zir head toward his, feeling pressure against his chest that reminded him to tread carefully, and pressed his lips against zir ear. “Tell me what I must do .Anything you want.” His voice was breathy whisper, as gentle as his light grip on the back of Chris’ neck and the touch of a hand that snaked along zir thigh and hip.

That was it. It took everything in zir to suppress the shiver that ran down zir spine when he all but moaned in zir ear. Ze pushed him back and was surprised that he didn’t resist. Ze glared at him, but it was half-hearted and he knew it. "I don't know what you're talking about," ze said. What was he doing? Ze knew that he lusted after zir, so did half of the people ze met, he wasn't special because of that. So why did ze feel caught so off guard?

He tilted his head and snorted. "You don't mean that." He held his arms out to zir. "Just tell me what I have to do. I will fulfill your every wish, your every desire. All you need is to tell me."

Ze took a step back toward the doorway. "I don't want anything from you. Why are you acting like this? Was it that smoke? I thought drugs don't affect vampires."

Chris had expected him to close the space between them again, but he remained in place. His grin shrank a bit as he dropped his head. "I can't believe this." He looked up at zir again, still smiling, but not as scarily. "You really don't get it, do you? Chris, Night Vale, whoever you are,-" his smile vanished,"-you've had a deathly grip on my heart for over a year and it's killing me." His voice cracked with his anguish. "I didn't think it could be possible, but I guess I never learn." He finally broke eye contact with zir in favor of turning and running a hand through his spiky hair. "You, You're too..Too good still..You're so steadfast and sure..And I've been trying so hard to get through to you and it just hasn't worked." He was pacing now, his thumb rubbing against the ring on his index finger.

"Jefferson?" It came out more as a question than a statement and when he didn't stop wandering the dark room, ze tried again. "Jefferson. Stop, I don't know what you're trying to get at. Can you just stop? You're freaking me out." Ze wanted to get closer to him and stop him physically, but he seemed unstable and ze didn't want to set him off. Ze had seen his fury firsthand and did not want to have to defend zirself from it.

His back was to zir and he turned his head to look at zir over his shoulder, his eyes alight with green. Chris didn't even have time to back out of the room before he was in front of zir again, his hands gripping zir shoulders hard enough to bruise. "Good!" The shout echoed briefly off of the wooden walls and ceiling. "Maybe this will make you listen!" He was shaking, with rage or something else, was unclear. When the tension in Chris' shoulders registered, he loosened up and slid his hands slowly down to zir arms. "I love you.." His voice had dropped down again, barely audible now as he went on,"I love you so much I feel like I'm dying whenever you're nearby. And you can't even look me in the eyes. You won't even touch me unless you're falling to pieces and need someone to hold you together. I love you and you hate me." Pink tears collected in his eyes, the green from his sudden outburst fading away.

If Veritas hadn't been so brutal during training and forced zir to lie on a working train's track, ze would have thought that the confession felt like getting hit by a train. It didn't at all. Instead of feeling crushed, zir chest ached so deeply it was almost as if ze had a heart. Ze wanted to reject the entire revelation because Jefferson was not supposed to be the kind to fall in love. Ze knew that it was possible, hell, if zir father Bones could fall in love and settle down then anyone could. But why zir? And why now in the midst of all of this chaos?

One thought permeated zir mind and it took ze a moment to realize what it meant. He is wrong. Zir initial instinct was to believe he was wrong about his feelings. Whatever he had just inhaled had to be affecting him, yes, that was it. He was high and lying to himself just like he did to everyone else, but ze couldn't believe it. No, he was wrong about the last part. Ze didn't hate him. Not now. Ze thought ze had hated him that night in the club, but ze knew most of that anger had come from a place of affection for him. Ze hadn't wanted to think that he was an evil man. Ze had wanted to trust that he was good somehow and what ze had heard threatened all of that.  
Now, after seeing the mask of his deception crack little by little, that belief was back. Ze had been infatuated with him for months after their courtship began, but had never let it grow past that. In the past weeks, little by little, fascination had mingled with admiration and desire that ze had wanted to get rid of. Ze hadn't wanted to get attached to him because ze knew that he would leave zir once this was all over.

Evidently, he wasn't the only person who was wrong.

Chris reached up and wiped a pink tear off of his pale cheek. "No, I don't." Ze cupped the side of his face and watched him lean into zir touch, his hands gripping zir arms harder. "I don't hate you, Jefferson, but I won't lie and say I haven't tried to." Perhaps it was a cruel thing to say, but if he had told zir the truth, or at least part of it, ze had to do the same.

"Why," he whispered, and another tear slid down his cheek. "What do I have to do for you?" He opened his eyes again, staring at zir with such longing it broke zir heart. He lowered his hands to take one of zirs between his and dropped to his knees. "Tell me, Goddex.." He caressed each syllable of the nickname. "I put myself at your mercy. Please tell me why. What must I do for you?"

Chris' first instinct was to jerk zir hand out of his grip and demand that he stand. Ze had seen people genuflect this way before zir father and had never liked it when the same was done for zir; it made zir feel even more alien and divergent than ze already did. Ze humored him only to keep him calm and answered him, "Be honest with me. I don't like secrets, Jefferson, and you have far too many for me to be able to trust you. I don't know anything about you except for random little stories. You can't love someone you don't know, and I don't know you."

He had been staring up at zir with some sort of desperate adoration. Now confusion and heartache colored his features. "What do you want to know?" He sounded almost childish now, so hell-bent on gaining zir approval.

Ze drew him back up to his feet and led him by one hand back to the nest in the corner he had built out of mattresses, pillows, quilts, and blankets. Ze sat down, pulling him to sit with zir. "Tell me about you, not about things you've stolen or worlds you've been to." Ze met his eyes, though it was difficult with the lost look he had on his face. "I want to know you, Jefferson. And be truthful. I don't care how ugly the story is, what matters to me is that it's yours." Zir voice was gentle, coaxing him into talking instead of demanding.

That seemed to surprise him and he shook his head. "You don't want to hear all of that." He was still holding onto zir hand, his thumb rubbing the back of zirs unconsciously. "I wouldn't even know where to start.." He shifted to stand and got pulled back down.

"Yes I do want to hear it. And as far as I'm concerned, we have all the time you need to speak." Ze squeezed his hand gently. "How about you start at the beginning. Where are you from?"

"I'm from Romania. I told you when we went there. Well," he paused to reconsider, "It's called Romania mpw, but when I was growing up, it was called Dacia."

That was not what ze was expecting. Yes, his aura suggested that he was old, ancient even, but Bones' aura was the same and he was less than three centuries old. Ze had thought that his aura was attributed to his magic, but that was clearly not the case. The Dacians had occupied lands in what was now Romania before the Roman Empire had been established over two thousand years ago.

Chris' shock was apparently visible, because Jefferson giggled a bit. "Have I scared you away already?"

Ze shook zir head. "No it's just that..Before you didn't feel that old at all."

"I mask my aura for a reason, you know. Nobody knows how old I am, who my family was, or where I really come from." His voice and gaze seemed far off, like he wasn't entirely there still. "I like to keep it that way.."

Chris wanted to address that, but ze wanted to hear what he had to say more, so ze prompted him to continue. "Okay, you're from Dacia, and?"

"My family lived in the countryside on our farm. It was a small one, but that suited us just fine.." There was that idle stroking again, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of zir hand as he stared at the wall across from them. "There were ten of us, my mother and father, my four sisters, three brothers, and I. We didn't have all that much, but when you have nothing, there's plenty to go around. We were all happy, even if we didn't live in the cities our king built."

Ze had a bad feeling from how he was talking about them. The mournful wistfulness in his voice gave away what was coming.

"Even though we were happy, we weren't all that lucky. The twins, Alina and Andrei were the first to encounter this bad luck..Alina had a problem with her lungs. It's called asthma now, but back then it was just thought to be occasional shortness of breath.." He inhaled deeply and spoke faster. "The two of them were fetching water in the summer at the stream on the edge of our land. They were seven at the time and thought to be old enough for the small task. I was eight and had wanted to go with them, but my father needed my help at home while my mother took care of my other siblings. While they were out, Andrei was hot from the walking and decided to have a small swim once the buckets were full. He slipped and fell, hitting his head against a rock on the bottom of the stream's bed. Alina tried to run and get help, but with the heat and her panic, she couldn't get enough breath in to make it the whole way."

Chris moved to put an arm around him, but his shoulders tensed and ze took it as a sign to simply let him speak.

"A year passed and we were still mourning the loss of the twins, when it happened again." There was no need for him to clarify what 'it' was. "My little brother, Doru-," the accent that must have faded over centuries returned with their names,"-was six, younger than they had been. We were working the fields one night underneath the full moon and he couldn't sleep, so he wandered out of the house to see if he could help us out. We heard howling in the woods and were gathering up the sheep and cows. We spotted him a moment too late." His eyes were still distant and at this point Chris didn't know if he was telling the story, or if he was there, but ze didn't want to interrupt.

"Two years passed after that and we had gotten a lot more careful. We never worked at night and as I got older, my father had me do more of the chores around the house, thinking that I was more capable as the eldest son. There were times when my sister, Ilie who was two years younger than me would sometimes tag along with me when my mother and father weren't looking." He swallowed. "We were on our way to a neighboring farm when a group of horses led by one of the king's men passed us. They were going to fast, we barely heard them before they were on us in the road. My sister was thrown to the side and fell the wrong way.." He flinched as though he had just heard the crack of her neck snapping. "So unlucky..I brought her back home to my parents and we buried her beside the other three.."

Jefferson's eyes remained dry, but Chris' sure didn't. Trails of tears streaked zir face as ze listened in silence. Ze moved closer to him and was going to say that he could stop if he wanted to, but he seemed to sense the suggestion and shook his head.

"Three more years passed before the bad luck struck again. By then our farm had shrunk. With only two boys to help him, it was difficult for my father to sustain our crops. Stews and soups got thinner, and the house got colder with our sorrow. By then I was fourteen, almost a man, and one of my remaining sisters Rahela, was nine years old." He clicked his tongue. "Poor girl..She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as all of us seemed to be ending up, and was trampled when our family's old bull went mad one odd summer's day." He smiled, a cracked, bitter twist of his lips. "At least she got to know her older sisters in heaven.."

Chris swallowed a sob and squeezed his hand.

"I was a man before it happened again. Eighteen years old. Four years after the last tragedy. This time a plague struck and managed to hit three out of the remaining five of us. My mother, father, and twelve year old sister, the last of four, named Sylvia, were bedridden and covered in rashes and awful bumps. The illness rendered them able to do little more than cough and throw up the little food that my last brother and I could scrape together for them. We didn't have the money to pay for a treatment, so they lasted less than a month. My thirteen-year-old brother, Lucian, and I buried them with the others." He bowed his head and shook it, then a cackle bubbled out of his throat. It was a hoarse, biting noise that sent unpleasant chills down Chris' spine. "I was reeling from it all..I couldn't believe that they were gone."

Ze swallowed and blinked tears out of zir eyes, hoping that what he would say next wouldn't match what ze thought was coming.  
"My little brother missed them far too much, so he took a rope from somewhere in our battered up little home and joined them. I found him at sunrise the morning after I had laid my mother and father to rest."

Chris squeezed his hand hard to keep from gasping. No, that couldn't be it.

"I dug two holes that day and took his rope from him after setting our last few animals loose. I was picking out a tree when a horse approached and a strange man with long black hair and brown skin dismounted it to go to me. He stole me away from my dead home and made me a new one in a world where death and life were one and the same.."

There it was. The source of his everlasting loyalty to Mencheres.

"He told me that it was not my time, that he had seen great things in my future. He told me that I meant something, and with a total lack of any ties to my old world, I listened and joined his. Ezra found me soon enough in my travels across the world of humans..She showed me the force that would become my new life. For that, I am eternally grateful to her.."

Ze had to swallow a couple of times before ze could speak. "I understand now..But how did it go bad with her? Why aren't you still with her?"

Jefferson turned his head, that dreamy, far-gone look still in his eyes as he spotted the streaks on zir cheeks and wiped them away. "Dark magic makes one dark. Ezra is no different. She let the Dark Arts consume her and take her to a place that I didn't want to follow, so she made me." He pointed at zir neck. "Ever wondered what this was for?" He gestured to the ink that marked the skin around his neck; a pair of black wings that met in the center of his shoulder blades and wrapped up and around his neck, ending below his chin.

Chris shook zir head. Ze knew that he had the tattoo, but had never wondered at it for very long.

He pointed at the space beneath his chin where there was no ink. "Take a look. And look closely, or you won't see it." He tilted his head back as Chris leaned forward.

At first, ze didn't see anything out of order, just pale, smooth skin like the rest of- Oh Gods.

There was a raised mark on his neck, a horrible, thick scar that ran all the way around as if he had been decapitated. It was a clean slice as well, expertly aimed to do the most damage. The tattoo covered all of it except for the area that he had pointed at.

Chris reached up and ran a finger lightly over the scar, then the rest of zir fingers joined the first in wrapping around his neck, feeling the raised skin where it had been melded together after such violent separation. How on Earth had he survived this?

"Ezra needed a sacrifice for a curse and I fit the bill perfectly. I was not supposed to die, however, so she ensured that I would survive it..I managed to break free of her and leave..That was when I began my work with portals. I no longer felt that this realm had anything good to offer me and I didn't feel safe knowing she could find me." His head was still tilted back, his eyes closed as Chris rubbed the base of his head and the back of his neck in small circles.

"That's horrible, Jefferson, I-I don't know what to say I-"

"There's more, you know." He lowered his head to look zir in the eyes again. There was a haunted look in his, but also a firm determination; none of the suffering he had endured had managed to break him yet. For that alone, he deserved the utmost respect. "Unless you would rather not hear it. I understand if this is a bit much."

Chris shook zir head. "No, I've listened so far, and I'm not going anywhere."

He gave zir a grateful smile and sighed, long and weary. "Surely you remember the book I read to you."

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, yes of course." Ze said, knowing exactly where he was going already.

"Alice was real. And there was more than one. I knew both and I loved them dearly..Alice Liddell was a mad girl spun from glass and decorated with crystal with a penchant for sparkle and fancy things. She was of this world, but could never find a home here. In that, we felt the same way, and I loved her. She unfortunately had an abundance of uncommon sense, but a lack of the common kind and it came at quite a hefty price. The Queen didn't like girls who spoke against her." He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of Chris still massaging him, the vibrations in his throat running through zir fingertips as he spoke.

"Alice Kingsley was another kind. She was strong, determined, powerful and confident." He smiled a bit. "Sometimes you remind me of her. She had a destiny to slay the beast that the Red Queen used to keep in power and so she did. However, that world was not hers either and so this one demanded that she return. When she didn't want to, her desire to travel to more lands with me being greater than any homesickness she may have had, this world took her back. I never did see her again, though I heard much of her and her accomplishments.." He turned his head and kissed Chris' palm, eyes still closed.

"Jefferson..I am so sorry..I know it doesn't mean anything and it won't ever help, but I.." Ze was at a complete loss for words. Everything that ze had thought about him had come crashing down all at once. Ze didn't even seem to recognize the man in front of zir anymore. And what was worse, that unbearable ache in zir chest had grown more and more during his stories until ze wanted to tear whatever was making zir feel that way right out. "I can't believe you've been through so much and you're still here.."

He was still pressing gentle kisses to zir palm. "Mm..Do you remember what I said your father told me?"

Ze thought back and nodded. "Yes, that you were going to be very important.."

He opened his eyes and the intensity of his gaze froze zir. "I finally know why." He raised his head and his eyes lit up, the sorrow in them overwhelmed with sudden fervor. "All this time I've been wandering through worlds, searching for a purpose, and anchor, something that would feel like home again. Thus far, every time that I have found that anywhere else, it's been ripped from me." He leaned closer, sliding his hands around zir waist. "And I've found it again, but I know that this time I'll get to keep what I've lost so many times." The look of adoration on his face terrified zir more than any enemy's glare ever had.

"It's you, Chris. I found my new home in you."


	26. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris finally embraces Jefferson's feelings for them. And him. This is a super long smut chapter, alright? Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: tons of smut. so much. they hit all the bases. even ones that don't exist.

It wasn’t often that Chris found zirself completely overwhelmed. There were of course moments that were difficult for zir to deal with, but no matter the situation, ze always managed to find a way to work through it. Ze was tough, smart, and resourceful; it was how ze made use of zirself.

This proved to be one of those rare moments. Too many things were going on at once for zir to formulate a strategy. The foreign magic alone would have been enough to throw zir off, but apparently that wasn’t enough. Jefferson’s sudden confession had stunned zir into speechlessness and ze had no idea what to do about it. He had made a grand statement in the fog of his intoxication. And that had only been the beginning of it.

There was a huge difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. Loving someone could be wonderful, yes, but it could be platonic, familial, or romantic. Loving someone had a range. Being in love with someone was different. Somehow, Jefferson’s heart, battered beyond mere bruising and far past broken, had becoming invested in zir. He had become truly attached to zir despite how ze had acted toward him.

As if that hadn’t been bad enough, he had gone further and revealed parts of himself that ze had no doubt were uncommon knowledge. In the last ten minutes, he had singlehandedly demolished the the walls and defenses he had erected against everyone over the course of decades. The symbol, the icon, the legend that he had made himself to be were gone. Only the man remained.

Chris had been actively avoiding that man for over a year and the unbearable ache in zir chest that reminded zir that ze was in the exact same emotional position as he was, reminded zir why ze had done it. Before, ze had been able to find excuses to not see him for as long as possible. Ze had ignored phone calls, taken extra classes, offered to do errands, cut dates short, and prematurely ended his attempts at conversation through text. Zir attempts to ward off any feelings for him by seeking out random humans and forming relationships that rested on pillars of sand and salt only deepened zir frustrations. None of them had known zir and ze couldn’t bring zirself to let them close out of fear. The affairs had been all been fruitless and most likely led to the dizzying array of emotions that were driving zir crazy now. Ze had put more effort into rejecting Jefferson at a high cost that ze had to pay than actually getting to know him.

Before he spilled his guts to zir, it had been easy for zir to dislike him too. His swagger and bravado were unattractive and as long as he kept up the obnoxious act, ze had been able to convince zirself that he was just as awful as his famous persona. The smug smile that was always playing on his pouty red lips was ugly to zir and so ze was able to see him as just as ugly. None of his contradictory behaviors could be trusted so long as he acted so foolish.

The times where he would appear out of the blue when Chris needed small things and evenings where his odd intellect and zir boundless curiosity would click and they would both lose track of time talking didn’t have to mean anything. So long as ze knew little about him, ze could ignore everything that made him beautiful.

What alarmed ze so much now, was just how long this had been in the making. He had said that ze had been making him miserable for over a year and ze wanted to be furious about it. Zir fascination, infatuation, whatever the fuck it was that ze was feeling, had been well over a decade in the making. Ze had spent numerous nights turning over the crystal he had given zir and asked it for images of fantastical creatures that fueled zir strong interest in either him or magic, it was hard to tell. Ze had stayed up all night hundreds of times, staring up at the stars and wondering what it would be like to leap through holes in the cosmos to other world that weren’t supposed to exist.

Yes, this attraction, this captivation, this enchantment, even, had been steadily growing for years.

Chris had no idea what to do. It could be that was simply in zir nature, though. Ze was not human nor paranatural. Ze had been created in the midst of a cosmic anomaly that allowed for zir parents to fuse their essences into a being that had unprecedented power and potential. That didn’t mean that ze understood the world ze was brought into. Growing up, ze had close to no grasp on the concept of emotions. Ze was born a completely blank slate with no basic functions that human children were born with. Despite being the age of an adult, ze still struggled to understand some of the feelings that everyone around zir were in touch with naturally. This had become more and more of an issue, especially with some of the intense emotions that ze was having to deal with because of the man with zir.

Some part of zir mind reminded zir that Jefferson was still intoxicated, evidenced by his blown pupils and the slightly dreamy expression on his face, which could render his confession of love illegitimate, but ze knew in zir core that it wasn’t true. He meant every word.

The last thing ze wanted to do was break his heart, but ze also didn’t want to let zir walls down. Even if he had brought out so much of himself and deserved every bit as much honesty from zir, they were still in the middle of a war, no, two wars, and that was not the best time to be coming to terms with such intense feelings.

Chris’ mind tried to race on, tried to come up with a way out, a way for zir to step back and have more time to consider what was happening, but Jefferson’s gaze, intense as always, coupled with how longingly he stared at zir, demanded a response. He rubbed gentle circles on zir back, both upper and lower, that adoring smile still on his face.

Zir mouth opened before ze gave it a conscious order. “Jefferson..I don’t know if I’m the best person for you.” It came out as hesitant as ze felt.

Jefferson pulled zir closer, rolling onto his back so ze was slanted over him. “That’s not true. You’re perfect.” He murmured into zir cheek where he began to press lazy kisses. “I’ve been in love with you forever..”

Now this wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was wrong. Jefferson wasn’t all there. The magic was clearly still affecting him and ze couldn’t stick around if he was acting like this. Chris sat up, one of his legs still between zirs as ze pried zirself out of his grip.

“Maybe you have, I can’t know for sure. But I don’t know if you’re thinking this through. I’m not perfect, Jefferson. I never have been.” Ze moved to stand up and his hand shot out to grab zir wrist. Ze pulled zir hand away. “No, stop. Jefferson, if that’s how you look at me, then this won’t work.”

He looked dazed and confused by the statement. “This..? You were considering?” His smile widened and he sat up, pulling zir closer again. “I knew it!” He managed to kiss zir cheek again before ze pushed away from him and stood.

“Of course I was!” Zir composure was cracking and ze needed to get away to recover it. Ze inhaled deeply and took a step back from the blanket nest. Ze spoke hurriedly, giving away even more how nervous ze was. “Look, Jefferson, I like you. I really do, you can be charming and sweet and you’ve been looking out for me a lot in the last couple weeks. I really appreciate it, but I just can’t be with anyone that puts me on a pedestal. It’s so…,” ze flipped zir hair back out of zir face, trailing off before finding the word, ”It’s dehumanizing. I can’t stand it when people idolize me. If you think that I’m perfect and faultless, then you don’t know me at all.” Ze slowed down to make sure that he could at least hear the last of what ze said.

Even in the midst of his intoxication, Jefferson still moved with perfect grace, all long, lithe limbs that moved silently after ages of careful practice as a thief. “But I do know you. I know you’re a just officer, a kind and generous heir to your parent’s line, incredibly intelligent, strong-“ he took a few steps toward zir, his palms upturned in a sign of docility, before his eyes left zirs and dropped lower to look zir over “-And astoundingly lovely. I’m positive that I could come up with much more if you would allow me to go on.”

Chris shook zir head. “No, please don’t. I don’t think you understand. I’m not all good, okay?” Ze took a final step back then planted zir feet. “I don’t know everything and I make plenty of mistakes. I know you’re trying to get on my good side, just like everyone else, but it’s not going to help your case.” Ze bowed zir head and rubbed a hand over zir face. “Have you heard of why I had to become an Enforcer in the first place?”

He nodded, his smile was gone now, replaced with a look of mild disappointment. “Yes, you had a duel with the Master Vampire Ares and paranaturals were worried that you were growing too powerful to be left to your own devices.”

“That was part of it, but did you hear how they were defending against my supposed future tyranny over them?” It pained zir to think about it at all, but in this case it was necessary.

He shook his head. “I wasn’t here at the time. I didn’t get back until a few years later, either.”

Chris’ voice hardened with anger to keep out the pain of opening up such an old wound. “They attacked me directly. The first attack was a few months after the duel. My first real friends, Dina and Nicole, both died. They were killed in cold blood while trying to get away.”

Jefferson’s ever-expressive face shone with the grief that ze was masking. “Oh Chris..” He held his arms out as he stepped closer, but Chris waved for him to stay where he was.

“After that, my parents threatened them with total war and they backed off for a year. Then they launched an attack on my Papa’s house. Cat’s mother, partner Cooper, and Mencheres’ old friend Gorgon all died in it.” Ze gritted zir teeth. “All three of them died trying to defend me. That is why I became an Enforcer. I wanted it all to stop. I couldn’t stand the people I loved putting themselves at risk for my sake.”

Jefferson looked confused at that. “But, Chris, that’s what you do when you love someone. Wouldn’t you risk your own life for your family?”

Ze squinted at him. “Is that a rhetorical question? Of course I would, but I hate it when they do because as far as we all know, nothing has the power to kill me yet. That was proven in my training.” Ze snapped at him, then regained zir bearings and began to pace.

He walked closer to zir again. “It’s survivor’s guilt, right? That’s normal, Chris. I know how it feels, you feel like it’s your fault. You wish that you could go back and change it. You think that there’s more you could have done. I understand, there’s no need to close yourself off from me if that’s hurting you.” He put a hand on zir shoulder to stop zir pacing.

Chris jerked away from his touch and walked away from him. “Even this whole arrangement we have going on is because of a problem that I couldn’t get rid of! All of those suitors, they couldn’t care less about me!” Ze was close to shouting now. This outburst had been far too long in the making and there was no stopping it now. Emerald light blazed from zir eyes as ze went on, “They wanted me for their own shitty reasons and didn’t care how I felt at all! They wanted power or money or to exploit me.” Ze stopped and clenched zir fists, zir aura flaring for a moment before zir turned around, zir now bulging chest stretching the fabric of zir shirt. “Or they wanted a joyride because I’m fucking irresistible!” It came out furious just like the rest, nowhere near seductive or appealing. “And you! You sounded just like them!” Ze shook zir head, covering zir face with a hand while the other rested on zir curved hip. “I don’t know how you’ve done it..I could hear what all of them thought of me, but you-” ze looked to him again and that angry light was gone, replaced with misery, “-I have no idea what’s going on in your head. I can’t tell when you’re lying to me. I can’t see through you like I can with everyone else and here you are, reading me like a book and digging so deeply under my skin and into my mind that there’s no way for me to get you out. For all I know, everything you’ve said is just that magical smoke talking. For all I know, you could be lying to me again.”

Jefferson’s reply was to close the space between them once again and wrap his arms around zir, letting zir lean zir head on his shoulder. Finally, ze hugged him back just as tightly as he held zir and he spoke with confidence that what he said would be received as he wanted it to be. “I haven’t been blocking you out, Chris. I’ve been immune since I was young, your father told me that. If you want to hear it from me, I’m not lying to you. I’ve been wanting to tell you this for months now, but I couldn’t bring myself to. If I said it all out loud, that would make it true, and I didn’t know if I wanted to realize it all. I thought you hated me. I was wrong about that. You think that this is just my high talking.” He pulled back to hold zir at arm’s length and look zir in the eye with that intensely piercing gaze of his. “But you’re wrong. I meant every word.” He slid his arms down zir back, bringing them closer together again. “And I’m willing to show you in any way that you want.”

Chris swallowed and resisted the instinct to pull away immediately and tightened zir arms around his neck. Ze couldn’t help but glance at his lips, that ze knew were as soft as they looked. “You’ve been dying to do this haven’t you..” Zir voice was lower now.

He smiled a bit. “Absolutely, but I would never force myself where I’m not invited. If you want me to stop, I will.” He kissed zir cheek. “It’s up to you, my Goddex, whether I am allowed to worship you now or later.”

If anyone else called zir that name, ze would have shut them down immediately, but it sounded nice coming from him. With his powers, reputation, and status, ze was positive that he wouldn’t throw such names around. Ze slid a hand into the hair at the back of his head and pulled him closer. “We’ll be strapped for time soon. I think now is perfectly fine.”

Jefferson’s lips captured zirs halfway through the sentence, his hands pressing zir as tightly against him as he could. He drew zir lower lip between his own, his hands wandering all over zir back, searching for spots that would draw reactions from zir. His tongue slipped into zir mouth as his eyes, which had yet to close, watched zir tense up when his hands dipped to press against zir lower back. He smiled and grabbed lower, earning a soft whimper from zir at last.

Electricity shot through Chris at every touch from Jefferson, both lips and fingers. Tingles ran up zir spine when he pressed their hips together and deepened the kiss enough to make zir head spin. Slowly, he bent zir backwards and eventually broke the kiss after what felt like ages to trail more from zir mouth to zir jaw and further down. His soft lips left a burning line up to zir ear where his nipping there drew a happy sigh from zir. If ze tried to deny that ze had wanted this for far too long, it would be a blatant lie. Ze tugged at the top of his shirt and heard a murmur that sounded positive. Little by little, zir power reached out and tore the thin article into pieces that scattered at their feet, leaving Jefferson’s torso bare.

Smiling against zir skin, Jefferson pressed Chris against the wall by the door and slid his hands down to zir thighs, picking up zir legs and wrapping them around his waist as he returned to pay zir mouth more attention. Their kisses grew harder, his fangs now fully extended and grazing zir lower lip as he sucked zir tongue into his mouth. His fingers dug into the material of zir pants as he felt dozens of invisible hands stroking along his back, chest and sides. He broke the kiss to purr against zir mouth. "Tell me what you want from me, Goddex."

"A bed. I want a bed." Chris said between kisses ze pressed to his jaw and neck. Jefferson giggled at the surprise on zir face when he was pressing zir down against the plush duvet of his bed downstairs not a moment after ze spoke.

He could see the spark of curiosity in zir face, but was more concerned with getting zir to scream and so paid new attention to zir neck. He saw Chris reach down to pull zir shirt up and off and couldn't help himself; he grabbed the front of the shirt's collar and yanked hard enough to tear it open completely. He almost moaned at the sight of zir full breasts bouncing into view and immediately dipped his head to taste them.

Chris slid zir fingers into his spiky hair, zir legs still around his waist as he drew on one nipple at a time. The graze of his fangs against zir skin was intoxicating, but ze couldn't help it when ze felt him pressing harder and had to gasp out, "No biting." The sharp pressure against zir skin was lifted immediately, replaced by the slick feeling of his tongue. Ze breathed steadily to keep from making noise and let zir head fall back, enjoying the sensations.

Jefferson pinched and twisted zir nipples between his fingers, kissing along zir collarbone and licking at random intervals up to zir right shoulder where ze pressed a kiss to the tattoo standing out in stark contrast to zir smooth dark skin. Soon he couldn't ignore the heat in his lower body for much longer and kissed down the flat plane of zir stomach to zir pants where an impressive bulge was making him increasingly urgent.

Chris didn't need to look to know where he was doing. The kisses he had left along zir stomach told zir loud and clear where he wanted to go next. Ze massaged his head gently and nodded, zir eyes still closed. Ze felt him slowly pull zir pants and the underwear ze had borrowed out of the guest room drawer down together. The small gasp ze heard made zir lips curl a bit. Whoever said that ze had to pick a side when it came to what was in zir pants anyway?

Jefferson could barely contain his excitement. He was going to have far too much fun with this. He slid his hands along zir inner thighs, pushing them apart little by little until ze was spread open for him. He turned his head to kiss and nip at the soft skin he found leading up to what he wanted the most and inhaled the smell of zir desire deeply. It made zir scent of spice different in a way that he couldn't resist.

When long fingers wrapped around zir growing shaft, ze bit zir lip to keep quiet. A light trickle of fluid leaked from the head, spreading along the length of zir when Jefferson ran his thumb over the slit at the tip of zir. Lower down, ze felt him use a hand to push one of zir thighs higher up so he could taste the folds dripping below where zir erection stuck out. This drew a hiss of pleasure from zir that only encouraged him to press further.

Quickening his hand, Jefferson delved deeper, running his tongue over zir opening. When that made zir release a quiet moan, he repeated the action over and over again until zir hand resting on his head began to press harder. He began to squeeze while he pumped his hand and moved his attention to the base of zir shaft above where he had been licking hungrily. Chris finally gasped and gripped his hair, urging him to swirl his tongue and run his thumb over the tip of zir more until he felt zir tensing up.

Chris' mouth had fallen open, though zir eyes were still squeezed shut. The pressure from his hand and slick feeling of his tongue at once were too much. Heat pooled in zir lower stomach and grew as he wound zir tighter and tighter, his lips pressing kisses to the sides of zir shaft before parting to allow him to lick between zir folds again. Ze could hear the moans and whimpers that escaped zir, but couldn't get enough of a grip to stop them.

Jefferson took the noises ze was making as encouragement to do more, so he let go of zir length in favor of running his tongue along it so he could take the head into his mouth. The sharp gasp that elicited would have made him smile if his mouth wasn't already busy. Admittedly, Chris was a lot larger than what he was used to, but that didn't deter him. In fact, he was anxious to find out just how far ze would be willing to stretch him if they got that far. He slipped a finger into zir once he began to suck and pressed his tongue against the back of the head. He slowly began to bob his head, curling his finger and closing his eyes.

Chris' grip on Jefferson's hair had tightened considerably, but ze didn't want to rush him even if ze felt like ze would die if he didn't go faster. Ze moaned out loud when he took zir in further and added a second finger, the dual sensations making that heat in zir stomach threaten to burst. He seemed to sense it too, because he moved up further and sucked in more of zir than a human would have been able to take, adding a third finger and curling the digits over and over again until ze was practically sobbing.

Once ze began to throb in his mouth, Jefferson knew it was time to step it up. There was nothing playful about how hard he sucked or how deep he was pushing in his fingers now. Zir legs began to shake and he glanced up to see Chris' face contorted with pleasure. One final, hard pull of his mouth had his throat flooding with a hot fluid that he gladly swallowed down. As soon as he did so, he felt a tingle of power spread from his center and outward, just like upstairs when he had been breathing in the magic of his spell book. Evidently there was still a lot to zir that he had yet to learn about.

Chris was still shivering when ze felt Jefferson sliding up to be eye to eye with zir. When ze finally looked at him, he was sucking on his fingers and smiling down at zir. Ze wanted to cover zir face but instead wrapped zir legs around his waist again, kissing the black ink he had painted his neck with. Ze arched zir hips up to meet his when ze felt his length rubbing against zir.

Jefferson kissed zir them whispered against zir mouth. "Please, Goddex..Say yes.."

Chris pulled him down from his hover and pressed them together. "Yes."

He thrust in all at once, the delicious stretch ze felt drawing out a moan from zir while he shuddered at the heat engulfing him. Zir body was warmer than a human's normally was, and he couldn't get enough of it. His fingers found their way into zir long, colorful hair and pulled, tilting zir head back so he could leave marks on zir neck that faded moments after they were left. His pace was quick and his thrusts deep, making zir hips arch up to rub zir leaking cock between their stomachs.

Jefferson yanked harder on zir hair, reveling in how it made zir groan, and rolled one of zir hard nipples between his fingers. The invisible hands were back, dragging down his back and hips, urging him to press closer if that were possible, while Chris' hands wrapped around his neck. Zir nails dug into his shoulders, the small wounds they opened healing instantly as he held onto his last shred of control.

Chris opened zir eyes to find him staring at zir and covered zir face out of habit. Two hands wrapped around zir wrists and pinned them beside zir head.

"Don't do that." Jefferson's voice was a low growl that sent shivers down zir spine in a way that made zir want to defy him just to hear it again. "I want to see you." He gripped zir harder, his eyes raking zir body as an expert swivel of hips hips made zir eyes roll back.

"More...," Chris moaned, not caring what it sounded like or where it even came from. The grip on zir wrists became bruising as Jefferson's hips snapped against zirs so hard it had zir crying out. He leaned down to increase the friction along zir long shaft and ze could have sworn that ze heard a chuckle bubble out of him when ze began to contract around him.

"Go ahead, my Goddex. Release is yours." He purred in zir ear, just as the fire in zir insides increased to a searing burn that burst and rushed from zir core to zir extremities in a flash. Something hot splattered zir stomach and chest, but ze hardly noticed it with Jefferson still rocking into zir until his pace stuttered and he came with a long moan of zir name.

If either of them had been human, their hearts would possibly have burst from the exertion. That and Chris wouldn't have been able to walk for some time. Ze opened zir eyes, not remembering when they had closed, and found that Jefferson was staring at zir again. The adoring look he'd had in the attic was back, although his pupils were blown with passion and his hair was even more of a mess than it had been before. Gods, he was beautiful. Chris wondered what he would look like bent on himself an at zir mercy, but ze wasn't sure if now was the time to ask for that, so ze laid back as he pulled out in favor of cleaning zir up with his long tongue.

He lapped at zir stomach first before moving up to zir chest and pausing. He looked down with interest at an image that looked etched into zir skin. Sparkling stars and the brilliant colors of a nebula in colors that matched zir hair interrupted the smooth expanse of zir skin. It looked as though a piece of zir had been torn out of the center of zir chest and revealed the mesmerizing image of the heavens. He lightly traced the outline of it and glanced up to find Chris watching him.

"My stars. That's what I call them, at least. They're a sign, a reminder of what I am and where I come from," ze said, by means of explanation.

Jefferson pressed a kiss to the image. "And I thought I couldn't love you any more." He slid up. "Now it's your turn, Goddex. I'm just about dying to see what you feel like." He hummed in zir ear.

"Are you?" Chris voice was as near to a purr as his was by then as zir hands wandered along his back. "Then maybe I’ll let you find out." Ze kissed his jaw and turned them over so he was beneath zir, looking up with such need in his eyes that ze wanted to skip preparation in favor of getting him to cry out zir name again.

Jefferson pulled a bottle of clear liquid out from beneath the pillows. "You don't have to take your time."

Chris took the bottle. "Impatient? I think I’ll be slow with you, then."

Jefferson's full red lips formed a pout. "That's so unfair, I didn't tease you."

"So?" Ze nudged his legs apart and coated two of zir fingers with the lubricant, reaching down to circle the tight ring of muscles between them with one finger.

Jefferson relaxed, looking up at zir through half-lidded eyes glowing with his arousal. When ze pushed the first finger in, he canted his hips up to meet zir as ze thrust the finger slowly. "Come on, I can take more than that."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "The more you try to rush me, the slower I'll go." Ze bent zir finger and grazed the spot inside of him that ze knew would make him more compliant. Surely enough, he didn't say anything else as ze added a second finger. When ze added more lube, two fingers became three that spread apart little by little to stretch him properly.

By then, Jefferson had come almost entirely undone, his length bobbing and twitching against his stomach as he whimpered and bit his lip to keep from begging for more. He wouldn't be able to last if ze slowed down again or stopped. He needed more.

When Chris could see him gripping the sheets and gritting his teeth to keep from talking again, ze moved up from sitting on zir feet between his legs and went to position zirself.

"Wait!" Jefferson gasped out, and pulled away from zir. He turned over, getting on his hands and knees. "This way, please."

Chris was all too happy to oblige, kneeling up and reaching out to trace the line of his spine. The lean muscles on his back twitched and flexed under zir fingertips as ze pressed against his opening, a generous amount of lube coating zir cock. "Ready?"

"I was ready eons ago," Jefferson said, his head was bowed, but it snapped up as soon as ze slowly pushed in. Just as he thought, the stretch was considerable, but he loved it. He wanted to push back right away and get that exquisite, painful burn that he knew would come with being rushed, but he knew Chris wouldn't let him. Not this time. Ze stopped all too soon and began with slow, shallow thrusts that left him wanting so much more.

Chris held onto Jefferson's hips, moving zir own slow enough that ze was fairly certain it would drive zir insane. Ze wanted to shove his head down against the mattress and fuck him mercilessly, as he had just done to zir, but the last thing ze wanted to do was hurt him. And he was so tight, even with the preparation and generous lubrication, that ze was worried it hurt already. He hadn't said anything, however, so ze went on, pushing in only halfway.

Those first few minutes felt like forever. Jefferson wanted to claw the duvet under him into ribbons out of frustration. When it grew to be too much, he whined out, ”Chris please just fuck me, I'm not made of glass." He was adjusted to zir girth by now, however long ze was, he was fairly certain he would be happy to receive it.

"Are you sure?" It took quite a bit of effort for it to not sound forced. Ze was dying to do oblige, but ze wanted to be positive before going any further.

"Yes! If you don't move, I'll do it myself!" Anything else that he could have thought up to say was swiftly cut off by a hard thrust that made him gasp. The burn was as enjoyable as he thought it would be. Chris' hands moved to his waist, holding him in place as ze rocked further and further into him. Zir body pushed his to its limit, making him keen before ze set about using long thrusts that undid the last bit of control over himself he may have had. His head fell again and his mouth opened wide, moans and gasps becoming more and more frequent with Chris' increased force.

Surrounded by tight heat, Chris found it difficult to slow down anymore. Jefferson was making the most adorable high-pitched keens that ze simply couldn't get enough of. When he begged for more in a variety of languages, ze pressed zir bulging chest along his back and pushed deeper into him. He cried out, balling up his fists as Chris wrapped a hand around his neck. Zir thrusts quickened, drawing whimpers and moans from him.

Jefferson felt like he was coming apart. He couldn't tell what languages he was speaking in or if all of the noise he was hearing was coming from him. It had been forever since anything had felt this good, and he didn't want it to stop. His arms gave out on him and not a moment later, he felt the pressure of Chris' soft breasts leave his back and instead felt a hand pressing his head down. Chris had a fist balled up in his dark hair and was pounding into him with enough force to make him see stars. Zir short, deep thrusts made him clench and tighten, his own cock pouring onto the duvet while those unseen hands squeezed him everywhere.

Chris' rhythm began to stutter once that inner burn returned for the third time. Ze couldn't help but increase the pressure, pulling Jefferson up so he was leaning back against zir, both of them upright. His legs were spread wide and his twitching length was easy for zir to grab and begin to stroke in time with zir own thrusts. Jefferson's head fell back against zir shoulder as ze used zir power to push him down against zir. He had taken zir in completely by then and his walls contracting around zir made low growls bubble up in zir throat.

Jefferson couldn't hold on any longer. Ze had been steadily rubbing against the spot inside of him that made him lose his mind and once ze grabbed him and squeezed, thrusting with zir hand in time with zir, he crumbled. He practically screamed at the second orgasm, his entire body tensing up then going completely limp against zir as ze rode out his orgasm then zir own. He was barely aware of how zir grip tightened on him and the sudden flush of heat inside of him with the endorphins flooding his body.

Since Chris was the one still functional, ze took it upon zirself to clean them up, using the wipes ze found in the top drawer of the nightstand beside the bed. Ze pulled back the thick silk duvet on the top of them bed and drew Jefferson close, pressing him against zir and feeling him slowly wrap his arms around zir in a tight embrace.

If this was what falling in love was supposed to feel like, then maybe Chris didn't want to fight it anymore.


	27. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris has an otherworldly encounter they never could have predicted. Ezra and Radjedef have raised the stakes yet again.

Something was tickling zir chest. It was soft and cool, lightly dusting along zir skin while equally cool hands traced patterns on zir sensitive back. Ze opened zir eyes, looking up at the ceiling from zir position on zir back. Ze looked down to Jefferson who was draped on top of zir, his lips still kissing along the colorful image of stars and planets that had grown over where zir heart would have been. It made zir smile a bit and ze ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

Morning after regrets weren't unfamiliar to zir, and ze thought that ze would be all too eager to bolt as soon as the fog of sleep left zir. Instead, ze felt a strange combination of contentment and vexation. Ze had wanted to come to some sort of conclusion regarding zir and Jefferson for quite some time, but ze hadn't expected it to happen so suddenly. Ze hadn't been entirely prepared and that was hitting zir now. The setting sun's light just barely lightened the blackout curtains in Jefferson's bedroom and let zir know that the two of them had slept straight through the day. It was fitting, really, they had borderline overexerted themselves the night before and neither of them had been getting particularly good rest before.

Chris took a minute to survey the room he stayed in and wanted to laugh; it was perfect for him. The bed was california-king-sized with cream silk sheets and pillows that matched the ceiling and shades on the lamps ze could see. Brown pillows matched the wooden twin dressers on both sides of the bed. In fact, every color and material in the room was coordinated with something else. The ottoman at the foot of the bed had the same shade of cream on its cushion and the same colored wood, the padded headboard’s blue fabric matched the plush carpet adorned with silver leaves perfectly, even the decorative chandelier on the ceiling with its silver to pair with the leaves on the floor had the same color of shades covering its bulbs as the lamps. The wall behind the headboard of the bed had a decorative partition screens framed in gold to contrast the minimalist wall across them where gray paneling was laid beside more wood. A large flat-screen tv sat atop a wood framed stand with black panels beside a pair of empty silver vases with intricate patterns carved into it. Objectively speaking, it was a lovely room, but it had more appeal to Chris because it was his.

As beautiful as it was, ze didn't want to lie around anymore. Ze had slept well even if no dreams had floated into zir mind and wanted to do something. This isolation from zir family and allies still put zir slightly on edge, even if Jefferson's company was far more enjoyable now. Ze began to sit up and almost second-guessed zirself when Jefferson looked up with confusion, his head resting against zir chest.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked, his arms still around zir. Was he seriously pouting already?

Ze stroked a hand down from the back of his neck to his shoulders. "Is that okay with you?" Normally ze wouldn't even ask, but he looked so sad at the thought of zir getting up that ze felt ze had to.

He slid up to lean his head against zir left shoulder and a single finger traced the tattoo on zir right one. "Of course..You don't regret it all do you?"

The best answer to give him would be 'no', but ze wasn't entirely sure if that was true. Ze hadn't thought about it enough just yet. "I don't think so," ze said, leaving space for zit to reconsider if it came up. He had been so happy when ze had told him how much he had been driving zir up the wall with emotional turmoil. What was worse was he was giving zir that stare again. That look that said nothing else in the world mattered as much to him as zir, and what could ze do when looking back into such captivating, mad eyes, but feel all that he did?

Ze pulled him into a gentle kiss, a chaste pressing of their lips, before sliding out from under him and standing up.

Since the two of them had only been in the house a couple of days, ze hadn't bothered to venture outside just yet. That curious nagging feeling ze seemed to be getting more and more often made an appearance as ze was showering and pulling on jeans and a t-shirt that ze covered with a hoodie. Ze decided to see the Rocky Mountains nearby for zirself.

The proud mountains boasted jagged cliffs and snowy peaks that reached up into the darkening sky. The river between them and the forest surrounding the mansion was the clearest blue when the sun cast its light across it, and was now shades of violet and navy with the sun's descent below the horizon. The entire forest and even the water past it smelled of pine. As air cooled, growing colder than the early fall time dictated, Chris hiked through gaps in the tall evergreen trees with no particular direction.

When ze reached the riverbank and came across a few flat rocks that jutted out into the water, ze leaped onto them and sat. Gentle gusts of chilled air lifted up sections of zir hair as ze watched the sky grow darker. One knee was bent up against zir chest so ze could wrap zir arms around it and stare at the pristine water’s perfect surface. It looked like a mirror, the black peaks of the mountains and deep navy sky hanging upside down.

The gentle bouts of wind became a steady breeze, carrying the smell of pine and what little flora could survive so far north across the river, skimming across the water.

When Chris blinked and looked at the water again, the image in it looked distorted, as if the mirror-like surface had bent. When ze blinked again and looked a second time, the river was gone, replaced by a hardwood floor and Persian rug. The sudden shift in setting alarmed zir, and ze stood up, pushing against the cushions of a couch that should have been solid, smooth rock. Ze turned and saw a television set on its stand, but it was crooked. In the back of zir mind, ze felt panic rising, but could not identify its source. Ze knew this room. It was the living room of zir house in Hyannis. This was where ze had lived in high school. Sure, it hadn’t been zir favorite house because of the town, but being in a living room shouldn’t have been the source of extreme fear that it was in that moment.

Ze looked down at the couch ze had been sitting on and idly thought that it was the wrong color, but that hardly mattered. This was a just a dream. It may have struck zir that it was odd to pass out and enter deep sleep after being asleep the entire day, but something else caught zir attention that shooed the thought away before it could be considered; the windows were too large, towering far higher than they should have been. Their frames were set at odd angles as well. As ze looked over the rest of the room again, ze found that this was the case with everything.

The tv and stand were too small, the couch was too large, the floor and walls were the wrong colors and the doorway was wider than it should have been. But the windows, every time zir vision crossed over them, that distant panic grew closer and closer. The curtains were missing, baring what lay behind the glass if there even was any for zir to see. Behind them ze could see nothing but pure black. A darkness so complete it was impossible to achieve in the real house. Ze almost wanted the colors from the dream ze’d had weeks earlier to appear in order to break the dark expanse.

A force began to draw zir toward the window even as ze thought that it was all too familiar. Something was wrong. Was it the window size? No. Was it how everything was just off enough to make zir feel like none of this was real? No, not that either. Something was missing. Something or someone.

The glass of the window in front of zir erupted as a figure leapt in. Chris wanted to duck out of the way, but ze was paralyzed by the image. The fog of terror in zir mind was pierced by a thought that drowned out everything else. Dina! Nicole! I have to get them out of here!

On some level, ze knew that the two girls weren’t there. No one was there. This was a dream and ze was alone, but that didn’t come to the front of zir mind. Not when ze was glued into place and staring at the intruder standing in front of zir. They were eye to eye, but it felt like the intruder was looming over zir.

Her skin was dark with warm undertones that contrasted the coolness in zir own. Light violet eyes regarded zir in a penetrating, inquisitive way that made zir want to bolt immediately. A blood red cape fanned out from gold shoulder guards that she wore with the confidence of a queen. Gloves, boots, and a catsuit of black covering the rest of her skin. Curly hair colored blue and violet, strikingly similar to the shades ze zirself used, fanned out behind her head. Were those fangs in her smile?

She leaned in, her knowing grin widening ever so slightly. “Chinoe Amen.” Her tone was reminiscent of zir father’s when he knew that ze had done something wrong. “What a pleasant surprise. I didn’t think I’d see you back here again.”

Wasn’t there supposed to be a way to wake up from dreams when things got bad? Ze normally had complete control over zir mind in cases like this. Ze had woken zirself from vivid nightmares before, so why couldn’t ze replace this unknown woman with the mountains ze had been gazing at before? And why did she know zir name? A million questions raced in zir mind before ze clenched zir jaw and silenced them. If ze wanted to find out what the fuck was going on, ze had to be present.

“Don’t worry.” She clapped a hand on zir shoulder, her manic grin turning amiable. “Dina and Nicole aren’t here. They haven’t been for, what, eight years? Nine? A million? I don’t understand how your Earth time works, sorry.” She slowly walked around zir, scrutinizing zir while ze still couldn’t get zir legs to listen and walk zir away from her.

She stopped once she was in front of zir again and held out a gloved hand. “Name’s Genna. Genna Vanessa Viva, but that’s a bit long, don’t you think?” She glanced down at the hands Chris was still holding at zir sides and narrowed her eyes a bit. Ze took her hand and she shook zirs firmly. “I’ve been waiting to meet you, you know. You’re gonna do big things one day. Bigger than you’ve already done, and that’s saying something.”

Chris had zir impassive mask firmly in place now. Whoever this person was, whatever they were doing there could not be good. And how she had managed to get control of zir body was beyond zir at that moment.

She tilted her head. “Not the talkative type, huh?” She clicked her tongue and her feet lifted off the ground, bringing her to a hover above zir. She twisted and turned in the air until she lay on her side next to zir shoulder. “Let’s get down to business then.” She tapped a finger against zir nose. “I have some questions for you. If you answer them, I’ll wake you up and you can go.” She spun around in a circle. “If not-” she snapped her fingers and the wall in front of zir disappeared, offering a full view of what lay beyond the window she had smashed.

There was that horizon again, bursting with lively and vivid color that ze had learned to be wary of.

“-I’ll send you over there and you can take this all up with someone else, got it?” She didn’t wait for zir to answer her. “Great!” She snapped her fingers again and was sitting at a table that hadn’t previously been in its current spot. Pastries and drinks were set out with two chairs settled for both of them. She crossed her legs and plucked a green cupcake from a plate. “You’ve got a family, right? I mean, everyone does. Not me, but you do.”

Chris sat in the chair offered, but didn’t push it in. Her legs were not all that spread out beneath the table, but that didn’t stop zir from avoiding any contact with them or her. “Yes.” One word, nothing given away.

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve got a big one too. The Chicago officer turned ‘Dark Lady’, " she let go of her cupcake, letting it float beside her hand as she gestured with four fingers the quotes around Kira’s name. “The penniless Brit turned hitman, the indebted English bourgeois pig who lost everything and grew a spine, the southern prairie girl who ended up half like me-” Denise? But she was branded by a demon.

If Chris had been alarmed before, it was nothing compared to how uncomfortable ze felt now. She had just informed zir of critical information regarding her. If she was a demon, then she was a different breed than ze had ever encountered before.

Heedless of Chris’ silence, she went on,”-The random Ohio farm girl who became a bloody legend.” She paused, looking up at the ceiling which seemed to be growing further and further away from them, reaching up into the shadows of the twisted living room. When she snapped her fingers again, Chris almost flinched. Almost.

“Right! The Pharaoh! Oh he’s a tricky one, isn’t he? The guy’s heartless. I don’t think he’s smiled in at least a trillion years.” She looked zir over and clicked her tongue again. “And would you look at that, your resemblance to him is uncanny.”

Chris wanted to jump out of zir chair when she appeared behind zir, her hands on zir shoulders as she looked at zir from over zir right shoulder. “But that’s okay! Like father like child, am I right?” She patted zir shoulder. “He’s important, you know. Not just to you but to me too. Well, kind of to me.” She let zir go and sat on the table, where a space had been cleared to her to do so. “I’ve gotta ask you, where’s he hanging out right now? If anyone would know, you would. And do you think the others are with him, or no? They planning anything, hm?”

So that’s what she was here for. Chris hadn’t thought that Radje or Ezra would summon a demon to do their work for them, but ze apparently had to stop putting things past them. It looked like they were getting desperate, and quite possibly more dangerous; who knew what this being was capable of?

She leaned forward again. “Come on, you don’t even know where your own parents are? Did you start dating the wrong person and get cut off? That would suck. Or maybe that crazy magician of yours would know. You think I should pay him a visit?” There was the tiniest bit of an icy edge to her voice.

Chris straightened and shook zir head. “Not at all. We don’t know anything. If you’re trying to find them, you came to the wrong person.”

That wasn’t what she wanted to hear, because the table vanished and Chris hit the floor while she hovered above zir, positioned like she was still sitting on a solid surface. “That’s too bad.” She glanced behind her. “Do you think there’s a planet in there?”

Chris was already standing and replied to the question despite zirself. “Where?”

The living room vanished in a flash, leaving zir floating in the abyss beyond the illusion of a house she had created. The colors were closer than ever, more shades of them revealed with the short distance than before. Chris was hurtling towards them too fast to process how to stop it all and there Genna was, floating beside zir with a serene look on her face.

“You know, I thought you would be more impressive from all the stuff I’ve heard about you. I guess those were just rumors.”

Maybe it was stupid, but her condescending tone struck a dangerous chord with zir. As the nebula they were heading towards became close enough to nearly engulf them both, Chris stopped. This is my mind you’re invading. I am in control here. Ze set a foot down on a platform that appeared. “Rumors always have a bit of truth to them.” Ze held a hand out to her and sent her flying into the vortex that would return her to Ezra. Ze looked around at the abysmal darkness and willed for it to release zir. Little by little, cracks and tears began to appear, the illusion of the dream being torn to pieces.

The river ripped into view, the night’s darkness not nearly as complete as the dream. If that’s what it even was. If anything, it felt more like an omen, a warning of what was to come.


	28. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jefferson makes a deal. Hopefully it will give him and Chris the upper hand.

The trees and uneven ground made walking difficult and in the dark, even if paranaturals could see clearly without light, it was hard to navigate the dense forest. No trails of any kind had been made and, other than Jefferson’s home, it seemed like no one had so much as touched the area. Because of this, Chris opted to fly back to the mansion instead of walk.

Ze made the three-mile trip in a little over a minute. Ze heard quiet string music coming from the house as ze approached and slowed down enough that the wind wasn’t howling in zir ears anymore. The source of it was Jefferson, of course.

He was sitting on the porch, his legs kicked up and resting on the railing of it as he strummed along the nerves of an instrument in his lap. His head was tilted back, his eyes turned up to the sky above him. With his pale skin and light clothes, he looked like he was glowing in the dark.

Chris landed beside him, zir feet barely making a sound as they touched on the wooden porch. Ze was close enough to him now to see the instrument he was playing was a lyre. The elegantly curved frame was gold and shone in the light of the half moon. The straight metallic strings sparkled slightly when he shifted his position and looked at zir, his plucking of the strings stopped and the last notes of the pretty tune he had been playing faded into the cool night air.

“You were out for a while. How far did you go?” he asked, a smile on his face.

“Something happened and I wanted to ask you about it. I think Ezra’s going to strike again.” Ze hopped up onto the railing and sat beside Jefferson’s bare feet. “I had another dream. I mean, I think it was a dream, I’m not entirely sure.”

He laid the lyre down in his lap and looked at zir with interest. “What do you mean? Did you get hurt in it?”

Ze shook zir head. “No, but I could have. I was visited by this being. I think she was a demon.”

His interest became concern and he tilted his head. “Did she give you a name? Demons with dominion over the mind are as rare as shifting ones, but they do exist.”

“Yes, she said she was named Genna. Genna Vanessa Viva.” Ze almost fell off the railing when he suddenly stood directly in front of zir.

“Ezra sent her after you!? What did she want? And she gave you her full name?” He was holding onto zir shoulders, but didn’t grip zir hard, though his tone was insistent.

Ze glanced at the lyre he left on his plush chair before looking at him again. “One question at a time please. Yes, Ezra sent her. Or Radje, I don’t know. She wanted me to tell her where my parents were and what they were up to. And that’s the name she gave me, I don’t know if it’s her full one, or if it’s real.”

“Oh it’s real alright. Genna is a demon from a hellish realm of more beings like her. Ones of her power are rare, but they still have limits. She has no physical form in our world unless she’s given one. When she isn’t occupying a form, she is present in a plane called the Mindscape. You, Bones and Mencheres all have connections to it that allows the three of your to hear thoughts and the like, but that isn’t all you can do in that realm.” He took zir hand and tugged zir off the railing. “If she’s involved in this, it may tip the scales in Radje’s favor and I am not going to let that happen.” He started toward the house, snatching his lyre up as he went.

“Okay, I figured that. What can we do about it?” ze asked, a bit apprehensive regarding his knowledge of what was going on. The more little things ze found out about him, the more clear it became that ze still knew very little about him. However, that didn’t matter so long as he could help zir in that moment.

Jefferson looked over his shoulder at zir as they walked down the stairs to the ground floor, then further down below the surface of the land. “We’re going to make a deal.”

 

A perfect red chalk circle was drawn in the center of the concrete floor in the mansion basement. Eight red candles, spaced evenly apart, cast dim yellow light in the otherwise dark room, the shadows the room’s occupants made dancing on the floor. In the center was a Ouija board carved out of a single piece of solid wood, the intricate letters and designs on it visible only by the light of the candles.

Chris was sitting on the floor beside Jefferson in the same clothes ze had worn when ze encountered Genna less than an hour earlier. On some level, ze couldn’t believe that they were using a fucking Ouija board to summon an actual demon. This felt like a scene out of a bad horror movie, but ze knew that was as far from the truth as it could be.

Jefferson was sitting so the Ouija board was facing him. He turned his head to Chris and spoke, his voice level and controlled. “She’ll try to get under your skin and she might succeed, but we need to do this if we want to have the upper hand. And know that I’ve done things like this before, you’re not in danger.”

Ze nodded in silent understanding. Normally, ze would remind him that ze wasn’t afraid of the being ze would be meeting, but it was nice that he was showing concern for zir safety. The least ze could do was allow him to reassure zir.

Jefferson turned his head back to the board and straightened his back. He pursed his lips and began to speak in a language that ze had never heard before. His tongue and throat worked to produce harsh consonants and throaty words that sounded like commands as his voice rose in volume.

When he stopped, so did the dancing of the flames. Everything grew so still it felt as though time itself had stopped. Nothing moved, not the shadows or the fires burning on the top of each candle. The vibrant red of the chalk and candles alike had vanished. In fact, aside from Chris and Jefferson were the only things in the room that had not been frozen and robbed of color.

In the center of the floor, beneath the wooden board, a hole emerged. Deep within it glowed a red-hot fire that grew until it swallowed the board. It continued to expand, casting red and orange light on the concrete walls and ceiling. The light flared when the edge of the vortex neared the border of the chalk circle and a figure burst out of it, surrounded by fire.

She looked different than she had before. At least to Chris she did. When she had come to zir, she had looked human. That was no longer the case. Though her outfit was elegant, a black body suit hugged her curvy form tightly beneath a long semi-translucent gown hemmed in gold with a long teal cape that draped around her and another pair of black gloves, though these were short, ending halfway up her forearm instead of covering her arms completely, that was not what caught Chris’ attention. Leathery black wings protruded from her back and a pair of long black horns rimmed in red emerged from her forehead, curving up and reaching far above her head. Her hands ended in sharp claws and her fangs glittered in the fiery glow of the hole she had risen out of.

Jefferson was the first to speak. “Genna Viva. I welcome you.” It sounded practiced, as though it was part of the ritual they were performing.

“Jefferson Aquila.” Her voice had changed as well, several tones being layered over each other that bounced off the walls and echoed when she spoke. “State your purpose in summoning me. I do not make appearances without reason.”

“I want to make a deal.” The two of them had locked eyes and were focused intensely enough on each other it was as if Chris was not even present. He had his hands folded on his thighs as he sat on his feet with his back straight.

She smiled, a devious curl of her ruby red lips that flashed her sharp fangs. “Do you?” The vortex that had opened for her to enter shrank and sealed itself shut as she floated to stand before Jefferson. “What would it be?”

He stood up, facing her as though they were equals and she didn’t look like hell on heels. “I know that Ezra and Radjedef brought you here. I’m almost certain that she has promised you power through worship from her people and more. I want you to cease any action on your part that will aid her in this war. You do not have to sever ties with her, but I do ask that you stop actively helping her.”

Genna tilted her head, a deadly grin spreading across her face as she reached up and dragged a single claw tip along his jaw. “And what makes you believe that you are worthy of asking so much of me?” She took his chin between his fingers in a grip that was too light to be anything but terrifying.

He bared his own sharp incisors to her in a grin that was equally crazed. “Because I can give you anything you want, no matter how far or impossible. Name your price, I am bound to no single world.”

She let him go to twirl on a heel and consider his offer. She walked up invisible steps until her head neared the ceiling and hummed. “I want you to bring me two people. A boy and girl, both are elves. I raised them in this land, but their home world, Middle-Earth, took them from me.” Her back was to them, hiding the pain that ghosted across her face when she spoke of them. “I want them back.”

“Done. When do you want them?” He said, not even flinching when she appeared inches away from him, her eyes practically glowing with intensity.

“You have forty-eight hours. Summon me again, when and only when, you have them with you.” She stepped back to hold a hand out to him.

“It is settled, then. You will have them by tomorrow.” He took her hand and a fuchsia flame lit up their hands, crawling up both of their arms before vanishing when she let him go.

She floated back to the center of the circle they had drawn on the floor. “Remember, reality is based in myth, morality is an artificial construct, and death comes for us all.” A burst of fire engulfed her and she was gone.

Chris and Jefferson opened their eyes at the same time, looking at the eight puddles of melted red wax that remained on the floor in place of the candles they had lit.

“Well,” Jefferson stood and pulled zir up to stand with him, “I do believe it’s time for us to get to work.”


	29. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Jefferson take the first step in making good on their promise, and in the process Chris learns another one of Jefferson's secrets.

Chris was still shaken by the encounter when Jefferson checked the circle he had made on the floor, now faded and dotted with pools of dried wax that had melted in perfect little circles like the one they had marked. He walked to the center and picked up the Ouija board, tucking it under his arm before turning to Chris.

"You feeling okay?" he asked, walking to zir and brushing the back of a hand along zir cheek. "You look like-"

"-I've seen a ghost?" Chris finished the sentence for him with a dry smile. "I'm fine. How are we going to do this?"

Jefferson chuckled and passed zir, opening the bolted metal door with ease. "Is that a real question? We're going to go to Middle Earth and getting them. I'm a portal jumper, remember? This is what I do." He inclined his head. "Would you like to see how it works?"

Chris walked to the door and glanced down the dark hallway, all stone, but not concrete like the room they had used for the ritual. "Has anyone else?" Ze looked to him and saw the lightness in his face had gone completely.

"What do you think?" he asked, his tone answering the question for him.

Chris' eyebrows raised. "Are you serious? Jefferson, if you don't want me to see then you don't have to-"

He cut zir off with a light peck on the lips. "I wouldn't offer it if I didn't mean it. I have to be careful with all of this. No one knows about this house or the source of my magic for a reason, yes, but I trust you with that. I'm not wrong to believe that, am I?"

Yet another loaded question that Chris wanted more time to think over. Unfortunately, ze had been put on the spot more often in the last two or so days than ever before and every single time ze wished there was a way to opt out of having to answer so quickly. However, as much as zir mind wanted to run away and consider every possible answer to each trying question, ze knew what answers were true, no matter if they were right or not. If it was zir heart speaking so clearly, ze wasn't completely aware. "No." It was quiet, not affirming enough. "No," ze said again, with more conviction. "I won't go mouthing off about any of this. What's happened here is between us unless you tell me otherwise."

Jefferson smiled, and it had some of that lovesick puppy look to it, but more prominent was the mischievous glint that make his eyes sparkle. "I knew I was right about you." He stepped down the hall. "Follow me." He started down the hall, passing more metal doors that they had previously ignored in their rush to summon Genna to them. The door leading to the concrete room they had used at the end of the hall closed, revealing that it looked far more industrial than the other ones with latched, gears and metal pipes clearly visible.

As they walked down the hall, passing sealed entrances to more rooms, Chris took a few moments to look them over. There was nothing very special about them aside from their curious lack of doorknobs. Each door was a flat, polished piece of metal that fit perfectly into its door frame, concealing whatever it was that he had built such an elaborate series of hallways and tunnels for beneath his most secret home.

After turning left and right, passing some halls with several doors per side and others with apparently no rooms at all, they came to stop at another plain metal door. Jefferson flicked his wrist and it slid to the left, tucking snugly into the door frame and revealing the room inside. Though the door moved smoothly, no gears or mechanism that could have moved it were audible, or even seemed to be present. Whatever was moving it depended solely on him.

Chris looked around the inside, entering slowly while he walked straight ahead with the wooden board.

The room was large, more so than more of the others ze had seen upstairs, and looked like a small tornado had torn through it multiple times. Ze could only assume that the floor was stone, because most every inch of it was covered with a rug, book, unknown object, or spare scrap of cloth that had been scattered. Books piled on top of each other in corners or randomly in the middle of the floor, tables of different sizes, heights, and materials were covered by more items that included weirdly shaped bottles whose contents glowed, more books, balled up fabric that looked like clothing, and rolled up parchment paper that looked like maps. The entire room was a maze that Chris slowly navigated. The walls were even more unusual.

The smooth stone they were made of was normal enough, but they were covered with mounted heads of creatures that Chris had only ever heard of in fantasy movies or books. Creatures with fur of every texture and color stared with lifeless eyes of varying number at nothing, although ze could have sworn that some of them were looking directly at zir. Some had horns, others had strangely shaped snouts or rows of jagged fangs. Small gold plaques were nailed either above or below them, bearing words in languages that ze had never heard of before and so could not read to learn what the creatures were.

Jefferson was completely unbothered by the mess and slid the Ouija board into a space between a stack of books and several rolled up maps. He turned to find Chris leaning forward and staring at the head of a massive creature with black scales and darkened feathers that fanned out along sharp, scarred features including leathery flaps along the sides of its face. Red eyes stared straight through zir as ze examined it with apprehensive interest. He smiled to himself and walked up behind zir, leaning his head on zir shoulder. "That's a Jabberwock," he said when he saw zir look at the golden plaque that read in a native language of Wonderland he was sure ze couldn't decipher.

Chris turned to glance at him. "A?" ze repeated.

He nodded, clapping his hands behind his back. "That's right. They used to reap chaos in Wonderland before the first Red Queen killed them all. All but two. This is one of those two. Nasty thing tried to eat me when she commanded me out of her land, so I fought back." He shrugged. "I never did find out where the other one went."

Chris looked at it again and took a step back, the image of it snapping and roaring filling zir mind all of a sudden. "Are you sure that you killed it?" ze asked, curiousity leaking into zir voice.

"What, did you see it blink?" Jefferson giggled and poked the dragon-like creature's snout.

Chris frowned at the quip and backed up more, that mask zir father always wore beginning to settle itself on zir face.

Jefferson, still smiling, followed zir. "Aw come on, I was joking. It's definitely dead, I've had it here for almost a century. Preservation spells work wonders on things like this."

Ze accepted the answer and softened a bit, glancing to the side where a table was piled on with so many assorted items that ze could barely see the glowing potion bottles from beneath the cloth draped over the pile surrounding them.

"We're done here for now, I think. When all this has blown over, I can bring you back to ask questions, but right now we have a deadline to meet." He took zir hand, lacing their fingers together, his flesh cool against zirs. He led zir around the clutter to the door which still stood ajar. "Let's get dressed first. I don't think we'll need weapons, but I would recommend something easy to move in."

 

The two of them returned to the winding tunnel system underneath the house in less than a half an hour. Jefferson was clad in brown and black, a high-collared leather duster hiding the black ink on his pale neck on top of a brown shirt while black denim pants matched his black boots. Fingerless gloves covered most of his hands, one of which he used to idly twirl a pistol in his way down the stone halls. Chris was dressed entirely in black, a tight dark turtleneck hugged zir muscular figure as closely as the stretchy black pants ze had found folded up in the guest room closet. Ze managed to find lace up black boots with solid soles and a short black jacket made of worn leather that wouldn't inhibit motion. Ze had also braided zir hair back and out of zir face.

Jefferson stopped at another metal door that would have seemed exactly like the other ones if it wasn't for the energy surrounding it. The barrier spell repelled anything that tried to touch the door. Chris found that out when ze reached for it and not only ran into an invisible wall, but also got a healthy shock of painful magic up zir arm and directly into zir chest that made zir hiss.

When Jefferson was about to check zir for injury, ze shook zir head and urged him to open the door so they could get this all over with. Ze could only imagine what Ezra and Radje were doing now that Genna had returned to them empty-handed two times in a row because of the two of them.

He pressed a hand against the door, the barrier of magic becoming visible in a rippling wall of blue that pulsated before dissipating so the door could slide out of their way. The room inside was smaller than the walk-in closet in his master bedroom. The stone was pitch black and completely smooth, looking like its flawless surface would shimmer if there was any light shining on it. Aside from the door, which slid shut behind them, there was absolutely nothing in the room.

Jefferson walked forward purposefully toward the wall to the right of the door. He stepped into it and instead of colliding with what appeared to be solid stone, his entire form disappeared, passing straight through it.

Chris watched with some confusion before stepping after him. Ze tentatively reached a hand out to the black barrier, expecting to feel what ze was looking at. Zir hand vanished. Ze was stepping in when an unseen hand on the other side took hold of zirs and pulled zir all the way through. There was a brief moment when ze couldn't see anything, but that passed and ze was standing with Jefferson's arm around zir waist.

"Surprised? That hidden passage isn't even the best part." He smiled and tugged Chris along. "Take a look. Only one person other than you has seen this room." He added the comment as a quiet afterthought.

Chris thought that ze had seen enough impossible things in one day. Jefferson was proving more and more to be full of unexpected surprises.

The room was circular and even larger than the cluttered mess he had left the Ouija board in. The curved walls were impossibly tall, reaching up so high that the ceiling couldn't be seen. Shelves of solid wood, metal and glass lined most of them, some vacant spaces revealing the same smooth black material from the room that led into it. Some shelves had more glowing bottles in various sizes and shapes while others held yet more books that ranged from handheld, to larger than encyclopedias. Against the wall were tables with contraptions that had pipes bubbling with unknown substances and what appeared to be an empty cauldron. In the center of the room was a glass table with a worn leather hat box, patched together from different pieces of brown leather and held closed by a strap.

Chris couldn’t shake the feeling that ze had seen this room somewhere before. Not in a picture. Not in real life. The familiarity was like the strange smoke ze had seen for days before ze had caught Jefferson inhaling it. It reminded zir of Obsidian’s figure erupting into zir living room appearing in an image that had haunted zir for years. Ze had seen this coming.

Jefferson unlatched the box and flipped it open, reaching inside to pull out with the utmost gentleness, an over-sized black top hat with a thick purple satin ribbon wrapped around it. He glanced at Chris and jerked his head to the side so ze would come closer.

"This-" he looked down at the pink silk inside of the hat with Chris, "Is my most powerful portal."

Chris was both astounded and infuriated by the revelation. The reason behind the nickname he bore that had confounded zir for over a decade was finally in front of zir. Of course the hat had to be strange and cartoonish. He couldn’t make anything different. Of course not.

"Do you see the bottom of it?" He pulled zir out of zir sudden contemplation. The delight on his face when ze obliged and looked inside soothed zir quite a bit. Although, ze couldn't figure out what he wanted zir to see. There was no bottom to it.

As if he had heard zir thoughts, he spoke, "That's the passageway. There's a bottom on the outside, but not inside," he said by means of explanation for the peculiar feature of the hat. "Would you like to see what it can do?"

"Yes." Chris was still looking it over, noticing the swirling, striped pattern raised in deep purple on the black fabric.

Jefferson walked a few feet away from the table and bent down, placing the hat carefully on the ground as though it would shatter if he treated it with any roughness. He let Chris circle him and stand in front of him as his fingertips remained in contact with the wide rim of it. His eyes were closed reverently, as if he was praying to it. "We're looking for two people. A man and woman, fraternal twins, both elves born of Middle Earth, and both branded by the same demon, Genna Viva..., " he murmured it, quietly taking stock of his mission, or using the information as a means of a spell, it was difficult to tell. He opened his eyes and spun the hat in a single smooth motion before holding a hand out to Chris as he stood. "Step back," he said and walked over to zir as a column of swirling violet smoke rose from it. The hat itself began to grow until it filled the area around it and nearly reached the walls, the smoke resembling a tornado.

Locks of Jefferson's dark hair tossed with the wind coming out of it as he looked at Chris, staring down into the abyss he had opened with a combination of disbelief and wonder that he had only seen on one other occasion.

Chris looked at him like he was a God among mortals, and he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He took a step toward the hat and watched Chris take a smaller one after him. "After you!" Ze yelled over the howling of the wind whipping zir long braid every which way.

He held a hand out to zir. "Together." He squeezed zir hand when ze took his and they leaped into the magical storm, free falling into the darkness of his portal.


	30. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Jefferson fulfill their mandate to Genna, but they still need to deal with the wars that have begun around them. Time is running out.

A gateway between worlds could have appeared in any number of ways; another hallway with infinite doors, a colorful vortex that shot travelers through the cosmos, or an incredible array of realms' features that formed an incomprehensible conglomerate for realm jumpers to navigate.

Jefferson's bridge between so many different dimensions was none of those. Past the abysmal darkness found at the bottom of the hat was a vestibule. The floor appeared to be black marble, and had a spiraling gold pattern that circled out from the very center of the floor and branched out to lead to the passageways to realms both magical and not.

Every doorway was the exact same size and they were spaced equally apart. It was the doors themselves that differed from each other. No two doors were the same, or even similar. Some were colorful with beautiful, intricate designs while others were bare or plain. One such plain gateway that caught Chris' attention was what appeared to be a looking glass framed in carefully shaped silver.

"Is that..?" Ze ran to it and looked it up and down, mouth agape.

Jefferson giggled from behind zir. "Impressed? That's the Looking Glass. Maybe one day I'll take you to meet the Cheshire Cat and White Rabbit."

Chris stared at zir reflection in the pristine surface of the mirror and wanted to sprint through it, but couldn't bring zirself to so much as raise a hand and see what would happen if ze touched it.

"Ever heard of Oz? The story of Dorothy's travels there are very popular back home," he said, taking zir lightly by the arm and tugging zir away from the entrancing mirror.

Chris looked to him. “No shit. You've been there too?" The extent of the realm jumper's power was becoming more clear and ze was beginning to have a tough time wrapping zir head around it. Ze had grown up believing that these lands were fantasy and nothing more despite being raised by supposedly mythical creatures and learning magic from a young age. Finding that all of that was a complete and total lie was as, if not more, difficult to process than the revelation of Jefferson's mysterious past and what implications he was having in zir life. It all seemed to be moving so fast and ze wasn't sure if ze was ready to follow through with it all.

Then again, life never waited for anyone to be ready.

The door they passed gave away all too easily the land that lay beyond it. With sparkling multi-faceted emerald resting inside of the crystal doorway, Chris could only imagine what cities it held past its mesmerizing entrance.

Jefferson halted the both of them at the door that would lead to their destination. It was solid wood with grains in every shade of brown. A large raised circle bearing the image of a massive tree with infinitely twisting and twining branches and roots that bent ever so slightly once in a few moments, reaching up into a nonexistent sky and diving into dirt that the wood could not provide. There was no visible knob, so Jefferson pressed his hand against one side of it and pushed, opening the door enough for one of them to go in at a time.

Chris leaned in to see what lay beyond the opening and almost went slack-jawed again.

Evidently, years of cinema special effects had been partially accurate with their portrayal of such fantastical lands, but could not come close to capturing the splendor of it all in person.

Elegant, stony mountain peaks towered up into the sky and layered over each other back and back toward the infinite horizon. Splendid green trees grew in beautiful forests even on the rocky ground. As the two of them stepped out onto the cliff the door opened out to, their sight was caught by what lay directly across from them. An impossibly wide waterfall flanked by mountains and separated by a single jagged spire dotted by green poured down into a bottomless ravine. The moon was brilliant, its gentle light casting halos onto the white clouds that lazily drifted along, their fluffy vapor catching on mountain peaks. Past them were traces of nebulae dancing among the stars in the night sky.

Jefferson slid an arm around Chris’ waist when he saw zir knees almost buckle at the sight. He leaned in and spoke in a hushed voice so as to not startle zir out of zir trance. “There is so much more where this comes from. Infinitely more.” The invitation of zir getting to experience it all through him was implied. He didn’t need to say anything more for zir to nod in agreement. He would make sure to bring it up later when they had the time.

“Are you ready to keep our side of this deal? They might put up a fight,” he said, looking to a stretch of vertical rock that had a small stream of water cascading over it, knowing that was the location of the twins’ home.

Chris cast him a sidelong glance that could have spoken for zir all on its own. “That doesn’t matter. Whatever fight they put up, I can take far more.”

It wasn’t meant to be haughty, so Jefferson didn’t take it that way. Instead, he found himself considering just what experiences shaped the young person beside him. He had endured centuries of grueling experiences that hammered him into the man he was, but in less than a quarter of a century, a warrior had been forged and thrust into the bloodiest of worlds where ze had not only managed to survive, but thrive immensely. He could only imagine what kind of childhood ze had suffered through to emerge this way.

Instead of voicing his concern, however, he offered zir a daring smile and leapt out toward the ravine in front of them, flying up into the clear air with Chris in tow. They crossed over to the small patch of flat land before one of the two mountains beside the waterfall and landed several yards away from a small house tucked into the trees beside the small fall that splashed into a system of tunnels carrying its water to the larger cascade.

The home looked normal enough with slanted roofs, colored glass windows, a covered porch ending in a small flight of stairs that formed an ‘L’ shape at the front door, a grey and red stone chimney and outer walls of the same material. There had been no lights on inside until the two of them landed. Glowing light lit up a room inside and sudden scrambling could be heard, making it apparent that the floors were wood that creaked beneath the feet of one of the home’s two dwellers. More frantic noises that included more than one door being whipped open and quiet cursing in several different languages made their way out into the crisp night air to be heard by the two intruders walking to the door.

A sleepy voice answered a hushed and high-pitched whisper before Jefferson and Chris heard more rattling and scattering about. Perhaps they should have called ahead instead of appearing out of nowhere in the middle of the night.

It was another minute of more panicked sounds before the two of them saw the shade of the window beside the front door move to allow a single golden eye to peer out at them before it widened and was gone again. Both of them could hear the pounding heartbeat of the person inside and another, slower heartbeat form their companion.

Jefferson stopped Chris at the foot of the stairs by the entrance and put on his most charming smile while ze stood beside him, zir impassive expression and perfect posture making zir look like a bodyguard. 

While the vampire awaited a greeting from the two elves they were to fetch, Chris listened in to the thoughts of the two of them inside. With no other distractions or voices buzzing about in zir mind, ze could clearly hear the inner monologues of the two of them and picked up some information.

First, one of them was in complete and total panic, attempting to gather themselves enough to hold their own against whoever was intruding. The other of the two was relatively unbothered by the situation, but was concerned by the behavior of the panicking one.

When the door opened, the two of them were greeted by two people, elves as they expected, as evidenced by their long, pointed ears, and were most definitely related very closely. Both had the same shade of pastel blue skin and a light dusting of freckles along the bridges of their straight noses and angular cheeks. Both were dressed in uniforms of navy blue, gold and brown, with buttoned coats, high collars, long sleeves and straps that held various items including matching pistols. Both were tall and lanky, though the brother in the pair was slightly more built than his sister. His hair was silver, swept up and back at the top of his head with blond sides cut shorter than the rest. His sister’s hair was almost a photo opposite in color, with straight blond strands brushing her shoulders looped by a silver braid that swept to the side of her head and hung down a bit longer than the rest of her hair.

The two of them had completely different demeanors despite their similar appearances. The brother had a pair of brown, clear-lensed goggles resting atop his head, making his light yellow eyes visible as he examined the two people on his doorstep. He seemed a bit anxious, but, as his thoughts gave away, more interested in the appealing looks of the people in front of them than the fact they had appeared out of quite literally nowhere. Chris noted that he was studying Jefferson closely and seemed to recognize him.

The sister was another story entirely. She had the rotten, sweet scent of pure fear wafting from her as she scrutinized the two intruders from behind a pair of goggles. Her mind was racing, pieces of information rattling off in her mind at lightning speed. Vampire, male, extremely powerful..Magic user..Portal jumper from the Earth dimension..partner, unknown identity, unknown species, are those stars?! And why is their aura stretching so far? She glanced over her shoulder, trying to seem nonchalant as her heart continued to pound in her chest. No exits, no form of escape..

The brother’s lips curled in an amiable smile and he held his hands out in a sign of surrender. “Greetings! Can we help you?” He looked directly at Jefferson, sudden surprise crossing his features before he crossed the threshold of the door and started toward the two of them. “You!” He wagged his finger at Jefferson, snapping the fingers of his other hand. “I’ve seen you before! You’re the Mad Hatter!”

Jefferson spread his arms out at his sides and bowed at the waist, his head still tilted up so he could smile at him. “That I am.” The vampire straightened. “This is my partner, Night Vale.”

The sister’s eyes looked to Chris with near-terror as more information rattled off in her mind, punctuated by more distressed commentary; Night Vale?! Oh gods, we’re dead. Why are they here for us? We didn’t do anything wrong!

“Splendid!” The brother stepped down the stairs to greet them face to face, heedless of his sister’s hand reaching out to stop him. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you both. You can call me Leo. My sister is Lenka. Might I ask what brings you here?” He waved her over and she hesitantly stepped forward.

Jefferson’s smile never wavered and it was clear he knew that Leo was near swooning over him at that point. “We have come at the request of your mother, Genna Vanessa Viva. She has employed the two of us to bring you to Earth so you can reunite with her.”

Both twins stared at them in open shock. Leo’s light eyes nearly teared up at the mentioning of their mother.

“Is that true?” he asked, his voice soft and high, nearly cracking with the effort of holding himself together.

His sister’s face set in a scowl as she stepped in front of him protectively. “I’m not so sure that it is. Prove it. Plenty of people from many worlds know our mother. And you-” she pointed to Jefferson, “-You’re quite literally a thief. How can we trust your word?”

Jefferson inclined his head the smallest bit and reached into one of his coat pockets, pulling out a crystal similar to the one he had given Chris all those years ago. “I can show you with this.”

Lenka shook her head. “I know you have magic and a great deal of it has been created by you. You could fabricate any number of images. I want real proof.” Her voice was firm and unwavering even as the scent of her fear seeped out of her pores and her mind all but screamed with the thought that her suddenly confrontational attitude could get her killed.

“I can show you proof. Both of you,” Chris said. It was the first time ze had spoken since being inside the hat. Both twins looked to zir with some surprise, though it went in different directions for both of them. Leo was intrigued and began to look zir over with some appreciation.

Lenka, on the other hand, was sent into another bout of internal turmoil. This piece of fucking space can talk?! she thought. It almost made Chris smile. Almost.

Ze stepped forward and reached for her slowly, noting how she tensed up and her legs twitched with the urge to step away from zir. “It won’t hurt, but you might be a bit disoriented for a few minutes.” Ze pressed two thumbs to her forehead and the two fingers lit up with bright light. Zir eyes also began to glow, but with yellow instead of green. Lenka’s eyes remained open wide, but they were staring at nothing as images of Jefferson and Chris’ summoning of Genna filled her mind so completely it was as if she was experiencing it all then and there. Once she saw her mother in her mind’s eye, her eyes watered and tears slowly leaked out from behind her goggles.

Leo watched them with controlled concern, his eyes darting from Chris to his sister and back as he fought the instinct to tear zir away from her and find out what it was making her cry. When Chris finally released her and she stumbled, he caught her and held onto her until she stood up straight on her own. Once she did so, he squared his shoulders and looked to zir. “My turn.” There was no space for negotiation with his tone, so ze took a step toward him and repeated the action.

By the end of it, both of them had streaks of tears on their freckled cheeks and were trying to regain their bearings enough to speak properly again.

Jefferson observed the exchange carefully. Chris had remained completely unreadable the entire time, not even reacting when both of the twins cried from witnessing zir memory and seemed to infuse the experience into them with such ease that Jefferson wanted to ask zir to do it to him just to see what it was like. Perhaps later on he would bring it up. At the moment, the twins were facing them again.

“We’ll go with you, but if we don’t see our mother right away we’re leaving,” Lenka said, no longer swiping at her eyes. That firm set of her jaw was back and not once had she removed her goggles.

“Yeah. She has to be waiting for us,” Leo added, standing beside his sister with the same unfaltering determination set about him.

“Are either of you afraid of heights?” Jefferson asked.”

They looked to each other, their movements perfectly mirroring one another. “No, not really,” Leo said, then looked to him. “Why?”

Chris pointed across the ravine. “The way to earth is over there. We’ll have to fly you both.”

Lenka stepped closer to zir. “We don’t care, just take us to our mother.”

Jefferson scooped Leo up, returning the smile the elf gave him and leaped up into the air. The elf gripped him tightly, but it may not have been entirely due to a fear of heights.

Chris followed suit, picking Lenka up, though ze gave her a moment to adjust to the sudden bolts of energy that ze gave off pulsing through her before leaping into the crisp night air. Her small shriek and tightening of her arms around zir were typical and so ze didn’t mind it.

Both of them cleared the ravine in seconds, becoming unidentifiable blurs against the dark sky. They landed with quiet thuds and put both twins down in front of the door that would lead them back home. 

 

Only the excitement at finally getting to see their mother prevented the twins from questioning Jefferson about everything in his Hat Room from the potion bottles to the cauldrons, glass pipes, and numerous spell books. They were on his heels after he had placed his hat back in its box on the glass table and started toward the door that would lead them out and to wherever Genna could be.

The four of them formed a line, Jefferson in the front, Chris in the back, that passed through the wall of the room in Jefferson’s basement guarded with the barrier spell. He flicked his wrist and the door out to the stone hall slid aside to let them file into the hall.

There was a powerful presence in the house that all four of them could sense as soon as they were in the hall. Both twins perked up and bolted to the right, running past door after door, completely uncaring of the fact that they were in a house they had never even seen before. Jefferson and Chris ran after them and managed to pass them, following that invisible force that gave away her presence.

Jefferson opened the back door first, walking out into the backyard where Genna was standing with her back to them, her head tilted up as she looked at the colorful dusk sky.

Her dark teal silk robe fanned out on the ground around her feet, the wide sleeves slid down to her elbows when she brushed a stray curl of navy blue hair away from her face. She had no horns or wings this time and appeared to be human when she turned and faced Jefferson, glaring at him with piercing violet eyes. Her voluptuous form was hugged tightly by a black bodysuit that allowed peeks of her shoulders, chest and knees. Matching black boots with sparkles lining the tops of them covered her feet.

“What is your excuse?” she said, her voice dripping with contempt.  
“I have no excuse, My Lady. Your children are here.” He stepped aside to allow the twins to pass him.

When the three of them saw each other, there was a moment where time itself seemed to stop. None of them could believe it. None of them wanted to. After being denied for so long, there was the terror that something was going to happen. Some force was going to split them apart again. They were going to find out that they were being lied to, or dreaming or something, anything that would mean this wasn’t real. That they weren’t real to each other.

That moment could only last so long before they met in a crash of hugs and tears that had them all but collapsing onto the floor. Genna’s authoritativeness crumbled and Lenka no longer held back her tears. Leo sobbed freely into his mother’s shoulder and finally they were complete. They were finally a family once again.

 

Jefferson and Chris left the three of them outside. It wasn’t their place to simply stand and watch, even if they were proud of themselves for helping the three of them and wanted to see them being happy together.

Chris found the first sitting room near the porch and flopped onto the plush black couch, looking almost dazed.

“Something wrong?” Jefferson asked, sitting in zir lap and putting an arm around zir shoulders.

Ze glanced at his legs, settled on top of zirs, then looked up to meet his eyes. “Not really I’m just..” Ze shook zir head as if to clear it. “I can’t believe I was in Middle Earth..I can’t believe I saw all of those doors. All those stories, were they true?”

Jefferson smiled. “Some are, some aren’t. Is there really a difference between stories and history?”

Chris nodded. “Yes, history is based in real events.”

“And stories are based on what? Imagination? Where does that come from, hm?” Jefferson waited a moment, his fingers idly brushing over the back of Chris’ long french braid. “It has to come from somewhere. You got to see where.”

Chris was about to speak when Genna walked in, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor of the sitting room.

“Hatter,” She continued in a businesslike tone of voice, though her elation was plain and clear, when the vampire in question looked up. “I cannot thank you enough for bringing me my children. Many have attempted this very feat over decades and none had succeeded until today.”

Jefferson allowed himself a self-satisfied smile and slid out of Chris’ lap to bow to her. “I am the best at what I do, My Lady. It is only fitting that I would be able to meet the challenge you posed.”

“Indeed. There is still business to attend to, however. Our deal was that you would bring me my children in exchange for me no longer aiding Ezra. I upheld my end and you have impressed me by fulfilling your part. I want to inform you that even without my help, Radjedef and Ezra have still managed to succeed partially in their plans.”

That made Chris sit up. “What did they do?”

“They have employed the aid of another sorceress. One so-called ‘Evil Queen’. I believe that she and Ezra will be using their magic concertedly to strike a more devastating blow. Tread carefully. Their patience has run out.” She took the hands of her children. “I bid you good luck. If you are in need of my aid in the future, know that you have made an ally out of me.”

She and the elves vanished from their sight in a burst of flame that left no trace.


	31. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris finally finds out where their parents have been, and the news is not good by any means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of blood and gore, misgendering

Stress can be worked out in a number of ways: getting a hobby, exercising, spending time with loved ones or pets, eating, sleeping, or hopelessly obsessing over the source of stress until you have compressed yourself into a diamond of sheer terror.

Chris had tried the supposedly ‘better’ methods first before reverting to the latter and spending two days without any kind of rest at all. Genna’s warning had been bad enough, but to make things worse, ze couldn’t seem to get in contact with zir parents. Any of them. Ze had tried phone calls, but only voicemail picked up. Next was email and ze nearly smashed one of Jefferson’s computers when ze spent an entire afternoon refreshing the page and trying not to panic. Next was asking around. No one had heard from them since the day ze had gone to retrieve Leo and Lenka. The entire situation reeked of oncoming disaster and once again, ze could do nothing but wait for it to strike.

Jefferson had shown concern right from the beginning, encouraging Chris to play songs with him, running, hiking, and sparring brutally with zir until he had to feed from the stock of blood he kept in the house multiple times just to regain the energy he expelled in it. He tried holding zir while ze teared up and told him over and over how ze should never have left them in the first place and curled his body around zir when exhaustion finally took hold and put zir to sleep. Now, he could only watch as his lovely Goddex wore holes in his floors pacing and thinking over and over what ze could do in every possible situation that could take place.

The two of them were dozing off in his bedroom after Chris had wound zirself up tight enough to snap and he managed to narrowly prevent the outburst when the phone rang.

Chris was gone and back in a flash, the nearest phone that had been ringing in zir hand. Zir desperation made zir a bit sloppy and so ze picked up the phone without even checking to see who was calling.

“Hello, is this my pet Hatter or someone else?” The voice was silky and confident, the iciness of it making Chris’ stomach drop.

“Someone else.” Ze wanted to growl or yell or scream, but that would give the speaker on the other end power. No one needed to know that ze felt like ze was going to fall apart at just the idea of having to bury zir parents.

“Night Vale. Such a pleasure to speak with you.” It was clear that the speaker wasn’t Ezra and most certainly not Radje. This must be Regina.

Jefferson had figured that out already and was trying to snatch the phone from zir but got shoved away hard enough to slam into the wall.

“I wish I could say the same.” Zir voice was flat. Give nothing away. Absolutely nothing.

“How has your family been? Well, I hope.” Regina’s smug smile was practically audible.

“I’m sure they would be if not for you.” Ze glared at Jefferson and when he reached for the phone again, white flames lit zir free arm.

He mouthed for zir to let him talk to Regina and took the phone from zir. “My Queen.” His tone was so light, sounding dreadfully close to when he was talking to zir fondly. In fact, his entire demeanor seemed to change, that saunter Chris hated so much was back in his step as he paced beside the bed. “Were you looking for me?”

“As a matter of fact I was.” She had a sweetness in her voice that made Chris sick now. “Your sire wanted you to be his phone call.”

Chris was on full alert now, desperately wanting to grab the phone from him and holler at her to tell zir where she was holding zir family, but ze knew that would do no good and instead watched Jefferson talk to her.

“I see. And why would he need to ask?” He was speaking in such a roundabout way that it was going to drive Chris insane, but he went on with the useless banter.

“He’s been occupied since the three of us finally managed to find him and the others. So spirited. They all put up quite a fight. I’m sure their child is just itching to do the same.” Her mocking, condescending tone made Chris want to tear her throat out just to stop from hearing it for a moment.

“You have them, then?” He finally asked a real question. The frustration was getting to be enough to make Chris want to tear zir own hair out.

“My darling, but of course I do. You won’t listen to me otherwise. And how else is Radjedef to get what he wants?” The last part almost sounded like an afterthought, but she was being careful. The ancient vampire she had mentioned may not be a Law Guardian anymore, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have dangerous tricks still up his sleeve.

Jefferson clicked his tongue. “I don’t know if I believe you. Could I perhaps see them for myself?” Why he was talking to her like she was his fucking girlfriend Chris didn’t know, but if it meant seeing zir parents for the first time in nearly a month, then ze couldn’t care less about it.

“Normally I wouldn’t. But for you I’ll make the exception.” The purr in her voice made Chris see red again. Ze silently swore that ze would kill her a hundred times over if she had done anything to zir parents.

“Thank you, Regina. I will be waiting at my computer.” He hung up on her before she could say anything else and turned to Chris, whose hands were alight with red and white flames. “I’m sorry, but I have to play along if I want her to cooperate.”

Chris glowered at him. If he could change his demeanor so quickly then how the fuck was ze supposed to trust him? All of the sweet moments they had shared or times that he had seemed so genuine could have been false. Ze wanted to set him on fire when he drew close and reached for zir, but ze knew that all of the doubt and desire to melt his flesh was irrational. It was the anger, the lack of sleep, the anxiety all speaking instead of zir. When Jefferson went to wrap his arms around zir, the flames went out and ze fell into his embrace. “I know you do..I hope they’re okay.”

He squeezed zir. “So do I.”

 

It was an hour before a notification popped up on Jefferson’s computer that someone was calling them. The username was clearly randomly generated and there was no profile picture. Untraceable. How clever of them.

The screen was black at first, with some audible shuffling noises and footsteps coming out of the speakers before a light source was lit and Radjedef was standing in front of the camera. He was clad in the royal dress of a pharaoh with sandals on his feet, cloth carefully draped around his legs held in place by a gold belt inlaid with precious stones that matched the shoulder piece keeping his long thin cape spun of gold thread in place. Atop his head was a pschent, or double crown worn by pharaohs that had ruled over both kingdoms of ancient Egypt. He walked closer to the camera, a smug smile on his face.

“I would normally never deal with scum like you, thief, but my nephew wanted so badly to speak with you. He knew you were with my great niece.” He looked into the camera and Chris knew he was talking about zir. Insufferable prick remembered when ze had bruised his poor ego by correcting him when he had wrongly called zir a girl.

“Well he was right. Speaking of my sire, where is he? And his spouses?” Jefferson asked, politely and blandly, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

Chris sat silently in a chair beside Jefferson and managed not to gasp when ze saw zir parents.

All six of them were strung up, their clothes torn and their flesh pierced in multiple areas with what had to be silver. Instead of shackles rendering them immobile, they were bound in place by what looked like a smoky blackness that stuck to them and the wall behind them all. Blood was dried all over their skin and clothes and though they bore no marks, it was clear that they had been treated brutally by their captors, two of which were standing beside them, looking quite proud of their work.

Ezra looked perfect as always, dressed in a elegant gold gown that draped along her shoulders and gathered at one hip to accentuate her enticing figure. She looked like she had just stepped out of a salon with her gold hair pouring in straight lines down her shoulders and back, no trace of the torture she was dolling out apparent from how she appeared. Even her nails, sharpened to points and painted gold, bore no blood.

Regina could have been plucked straight out of a Disney movie with her black hair piled high atop her head, red lipstick, and dark fairytale dress made of silk and lace with its high collar framing her lovely features. Her hands were covered by wrist-length black lace gloves.

Radjedef stepped back into the frame, his smirk now a full-blown grin. “After millennia, I have finally bested the undeserving child who stole my throne and power from me. I intend to get it back, and as fun as it would be to simply take it now, I understand that there is more to be had. Chinoe Amen, the mythical daughter of the nile, you contain more power in you than all six of them combined. I will offer you a deal if you will accept it.”

“What is it that you want, Radje,” ze said, using the hated nickname given to him as a child that he had never been able to outgrow. It didn’t matter what the deal was, ze as fully prepared to do whatever it took for zir parents. Ze didn’t even care if it was the last decision ze ever made. Twenty-three years was an okay run in their opinion.

He chuckled and the sheer malice in it would have made zir shiver if it wasn’t for the white-hot fury boiling zir insides. “I want you to come here, to the pyramid of Menkaure unarmed. You will give me your power, all of it. Once you do, I will set them all free. If not, then I will take it from them. I am sure you know what will happen if I do.”

“Is that all?” He didn’t need to tell zir what the fuck would happen if he tore the power out of them. Ze didn’t even want to think about it. Oh gods, they looked barely conscious. Even Mencheres’ head was lolling. What were these bastards doing to them?

Radjedef laughed outright. “Of course not. For every day that you waste preparing to fight or seeing if you can wait me out, I will kill one of them. The choice is yours. And your thief can come only to see his sire finally die. I look forward to seeing you again, my dear girl.” The screen went dark again and the call ended.

That twisted, despicable, evil man had sold his soul for revenge. He bargained with the very Gods of Death themselves just for this moment. How sad that it was all about to go to waste, Chris thought furiously. Hopefully he had left the Underworld on good terms with them, because he was going straight back no matter what it took.


	32. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Jefferson prepare to meet their enemies. It's about time they finished all of this.

Mencheres often had moments where he would spout words of wisdom he held onto for every occasion. With the exceedingly long life he had led, his advice was invaluable, backed by centuries of trials and tribulations. One such nugget that he had brought up time and time again was that vengeance was a fruitless pursuit; revenge and bitterness were the lowest human emotions that tied back to the most barbaric of tendencies. He could not emphasize enough how it tore people apart and destroyed countless lives all for nothing.

To Radjedef, it didn’t matter how petty his obsessions were or how much he had reduced himself and his life in the pursuit of retribution for ancient wrongs. He had lost his life in trying to destroy his own nephew and that still had not been enough.

Now Chris, the heir of the supernatural world’s most powerful family and recipient of more power than the ex-Law Guardian could imagine was being charged with the responsibility to ending this feud for good. It should have been over twenty years ago, but that would have been too simple, too sensible and straightforward. As if it wasn’t enough to have wielded his power as a Law Guardian, he needed to have the Power of Cain, father to all paranaturals, at his disposal as well. That level of desperate hunger to make use of superior abilities just for selfish reasons scared zir, not just because it was putting zir family in danger, but also because ze could very well end up that way if ze wasn’t careful.

Ze had twenty-four hours to get to Egypt and save zir parents. Easier said than done, especially when ze knew for a fact that the three people orchestrating this perfect storm were not to be trusted in the least. It was all a trap. It had to be. That wasn’t going to stop zir, however. No matter how perilous it was, ze was going to spring it, just like ze always did.

“I’m going.” Ze didn’t need to look away from the black computer screen to feel Jefferson’s stare. “I’m going and there’s no way you’re stopping me. I don’t care what they have waiting, I have to do this.” It should have come out forcefully, filled with resolve and confidence, but zir voice wavered and cracked underneath the avalanche of panic, dread, and terror that ze might soon be burying the people that ze couldn’t imagine living without.

“I know you do, Chris.” Jefferson put a hand on zir shoulder and squeezed. “And I’m not here to stop you.” He leaned in and Chris finally looked at him, seeing every bit as much of the storm ze was containing plain on his face. “I’m going with you.”

As much as Chris wanted to rush and get to Egypt as soon as possible, ze knew that ze had to be prepared for anything. Not only that, ze couldn’t be of much use if ze was sleep deprived and starving. Ze was going to make sure that Ezra, Regina, and Radjedef knew exactly who they were dealing with.

Normally ze would gain energy from sleeping, but it was a fifteen hour flight to the Great Pyramid of Giza and that left zir with little time to recharge. Ze was considering clearing out the contents of the kitchen, but since Jefferson rarely stayed in that house, there was little to be found after staying there for a few days already.

Ze had set out pacing and trying to think on what to do in Jefferson’s office when he stopped zir and offered an idea.

“You feed from vampires, right?”

Ze nodded. “And humans, but vampire blood is more effective.”

“Then you can feed from me. I keep a supply of blood here, so we won’t have to waste time finding a human for me.” He slid his hand from zir left shoulder down zir arm and took zir hand. “Come on. You’ll be able to think better when you’re not on the verge of passing out.”

Ze followed him to the living room where ze had played the piano before silently. Ze hadn’t fed from a vampire in a while and his blood undoubtedly had traces of his power that ze would absorb. Whether or not ze would be able to control them would be figured out later on. Now that ze knew ze would be feeding, the vague dizziness from not sleeping for the last couple of days and not eating nearly as much as ze should have been were becoming more prominent. Hopefully ze would be able to control zirself. Ze didn’t want to drain him to the point of faintness.

Chris sat on the white couch, the buttery leather giving beneath zir weight before sinking lower when Jefferson sat in zir lap, his knees resting on either side of zir hips.

“Take as much as you need, okay? Knowing the three of them, we’re going to be up against more than just a few guards and some little spells,” Jefferson said, settling himself so their flat chests were pressed together. His small smile was affectionate, but his eyes clearly gave away that he was worrying just as much as ze was.

Chris nodded and wrapped an arm around his waist, zir other hand weaving into his hair and cradling his head. Ze gently tugged it to one side, pressing zir lips to the inked skin of his neck, revealed by the low collar and deep v-neck of his black shirt. Ze licked along where his pulse once beat, zir fangs emerging and lightly grazing the sensitive skin there. Ze pressed down, feeling him tense in anticipation before ze sunk zir fangs into him, enjoying that satisfying pop of his skin breaking.

The liquid that he willed into zir mouth was thicker than cream and richer than chocolate, pouring down zir throat in cool mouthfuls. Ze sucked harder, pushing zir fangs in deeper to open a larger wound. Ze heard a faint whimper come from him as ze drank steadily, long pulls of zir mouth spreading the venom from zir fangs throughout his body. Slowly but surely, the fogginess of zir exhaustion faded and ze felt more energized. The vampire’s blood was potent, the energy he had grown over the course of over two millennia spilling into zir.

Soon enough the air around them was completely electrified, crackling as Chris pressed him closer, desperately drinking down more until Jefferson’s eyes had rolled back and closed in ecstasy. He had gone limp in zir arms, but unlike a human did not lose life force from being drained so completely.

Chris came back to zirself when Jefferson quietly murmured an unintelligible reminder that ze had taken his invitation as far as possible already. Ze raised zir head from his neck and licked zir lips and fangs clean as the holes his neck closed.

The poor man in zir arms looked barely conscious. “I’m sorry, are you okay?” ze whispered, massaging his scalp as his head dropped to rest against the cushion behind zir.

“Mmn, I’m fine..Remind me to feed you more often once this is over..That felt way too good..” His words were slurring and his grip on zir was still loose.

“I’m not so sure I should.” Ze slid him off zir and picked him up. “Where’s that blood supply? I think I took too much.”

He smiled lazily, his head resting against zir chest. “No, you took just enough. It’s downstairs in a room by the kitchen. I’ll point when we’re there.”

 

If you’re going to fight a war, you need to wear a uniform. Once ze was fully energized and able to process the situation, ze decided to get dressed. Jefferson was still feeding when ze went to his bedroom and let zirself into his walk in closet. There had to be something that would be appropriate for this kind of meeting.

Ever resourceful as usual, Jefferson happened to have some battle gear available. Ze had seen full-blown metal armor in his castle, but knew it was impractical. In this case, he had an array of weapons that unfortunately could not be used on that particular occasion stored in the back along with a rack of clothing that ze could choose from.

Ze settled on a full set of black combat gear that included a short-sleeved black shirt of thick material that resembled kevlar and pants of the same material with pads on the knees. It was slightly tight on zir, Jefferson’s body being more lean than zirs, but fit well enough. The many pockets on the pants and shirt were left empty except for the phone given to zir by Veritas and ze didn’t include the bulletproof vest that went with it. Once the laces of the black boots were tied tightly, ze braided zir hair back in a long french braid once again, noting that an earlier braid had waved the length of it.

Jefferson joined zir in the front of the house after making a phone call clad in all black as well, though he had chosen a button-up shirt and worn denim pants held up with a studded belt. The clothes didn’t look fit for battle, but they wouldn’t inhibit his motion and that was good enough for him.

“Remember Alliel?” he asked as they stepped out the door, unbothered by the chilly night air.

“Of course. She was an excellent pilot,” ze said, recalling the young vampire that had taken them to his hidden home in the first place.

“Good, because she’s taking us to see your great uncle.”

Chris greeted the friendly woman flying them politely and spent the majority of the flight in a sleep that ze forced upon zirself to ensure ze would be able to raise as much hell as possible once ze landed. Visions of zir parents bound and bloody, somehow rendered helpless by their twisted captors, danced in zir mind for hours until the sunrise woke zir.

Time to spring the trap once again.


	33. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris, their family, and Jefferson tie up loose ends and talk about what's happened.

Veritas had been skeptical of Radjedef from the beginning and Leviticus had been even more so. However, when they received a call from their newest Enforcer that Radjedef, Ezra, and the master vampire Regina had all gathered at Mencheres’ pyramid after threatening zir, they decided to go to Cairo and see if their abbreviated training of the strange paranatural had paid off. The two of them already had different views on the subordinate they had gone to Egypt in order to meet.

In the opinion of Leviticus, the young paranatural was a violation of nature and the very laws that he had spent thousands of years defending. Ze had no place in his or any world, most especially as part of such a powerful family. He was even more infuriated by zir status as an Enforcer; the exceptions being made to accommodate zir were outrageous to him and he wanted no part in zir life except to find what would finally break zir. He was hoping that his old friend had managed to put up a fight and finally put zir in zir place.

Veritas was another story. The statuesque Scandinavian Law Guardian was an old friend of Mencheres, though she was careful to not let that get in the way of her doing her job and ensuring justice was served no matter what. That being said, she respected the young Enforcer and perhaps would even grow to admire zir in time. She had been impressed when ze had managed to pass the test that she and the other Guardians had orchestrated so ze would fail. It was completely unheard of for anyone remotely close to zir age to be so powerful. Then again, a being like zir had never existed before. That incredible potential was what had driven her when training zir. She had never been so hard on a trainee, in fact, the majority of the tasks and trials she had put zir through would have undoubtedly killed anyone else, including her. Zir resilience in the face of such extreme difficulties made zir her favorite over time. The only problem was that Guardians were charged with being the cornerstone of Justice and Law and therefore neutral in all situations. If ze had done something wrong worthy of reprimanding or worse, suspension, she would be the first to carry out the motion; for her, justice came before everything else.

The two of them walked quickly through the tunnels, reaching the main tomb where they could sense the presence of several paranaturals. They were greeted with the sight of Ezra and Regina both shackled to the floor and barely conscious while Mencheres and his family were recovering from what had transpired there. Along with the Enforcer who had summoned them in the first place was the notorious Mad Hatter who they had been receiving complaints about for decades and could never seem to build a case against.

Chris was hidden by zir parents all gathered around zir in a tangle of arms as they all murmured words of awe and gratitude. Ze made it a point to hug each of them, briefly examining their damaged states before spotting the Guardians and walking to them.

Ze bowed to them and held zir left hand against zir right shoulder, zir left arm crossing zir torso in the salute of Enforcers. “Guardians. I thank you for arriving so quickly. I have apprehended Ezra and Regina. I have seven witnesses to them using illegal black magic in the form of summoning wraiths and manipulating a master vampire by tearing out his heart. They also threatened and attempted to blackmail an active Enforcer.”

Veritas looked to the two of them. “Understood. And who were their actions against?”

“Mencheres, his spouses, Jefferson, and I, Guardian,” ze said, meeting her eyes with a neutral expression in place.

Veritas walked over to the two women. “Release them,” she said, and waited to speak again until after a flick of Chris’ wrist broke their chains. “They appear incapacitated and incapable of pleading at the moment.” She turned on her heel to face Mencheres who was watching her with calculated interest.

“These women acted primarily against you and your line. If they are charged, what penalty do you demand?” She could guess what it would be, but as a formality she still had to ask.

“We will deal with them personally. An example must be made of them,” Bones, the notorious ex-hitman said, walking to stand beside his husband. “You will be trying them?”

“Of course,” Leviticus said. “And what has been made of Radjedef?” He had surveyed the room and found a disappointing lack of the former Guardian.

“He attacked and I had no choice but to retaliate, Guardian,” Chris said, standing confident and unwavering beneath his withering glare.

“I understand. And was he part of this plot?” The Guardian asked.

“He was the orchestrater of it, yes,” ze said.

Waving his hand dismissively, he joined Veritas in facing Bones and Mencheres. “Very well. Ezra and Regina will be tried and their sentence will be carried out by you. Do further complaints remain?”

“No,” Mencheres said.

“Enforcer,” Leviticus said, practically spitting the title that summoned Chris to his side, “You will be escorting the two of them-“ He jerked his head in the direction of Ezra and Regina who had yet to stand on their own “-to the Council. All of you will be joining us as witnesses to their crimes. Come, we have no time to waste.”

 

Pale grey stone shrouded in darkness had split and worn away to form the cavernous caves that the paranatural Law Guardians occupied. The steep Alpine slopes and jaggedness of the rock faces that led up to the hidden entrance provided a challenge in climbing, making it near impossible for paranaturals who were not masters to gain access. Stalagmites and stalactites pointed like serrated teeth that could snap at intruders at any moment. Tunnels and sudden drop offs in the labyrinthine system to be found inside of the mountain coupled with complete and total darkness to create the perfect hideaway. Any sound that was made echoed and bounced off wall after wall until it was so distorted that a source could never be discerned.

Down slippery slopes and over small ravines was a massive domed room in the cave that had been chosen millennia earlier to be used as a temple of justice for the supernatural beings that live on earth. Columns carved into the stone walls stood, dwarfing all who entered as much as the high platform where a set of thrones sat; gilded bones decorated the silver frames, skulls, spines, and skeletal hands built into the seats of the Guardians all sparkled in the dim light of torches mounted on the walls.

Out of the council, only two were missing. The two in question entered when the Enforcers who guarded the massive stone doors of the meeting place opened a way for them. They were followed by their newest Enforcer who dragged Ezra and Regina by the hair, zir hands gripping their roots to make moving along with them easier. Behind zir were Bones and Cat, Spade and Denise, and Mencheres and Kira, all walking in pairs. They had commandeered temporary clothing to replace what had been destroyed during their torture but still bore clear evidence of what they had suffered at the hands of the accused and the deceased Radjedef. Jefferson walked along at the back of the line, ducking inside when the Enforcers who saw him at the door nearly shut him out.

Veritas and Leviticus leaped up onto the platform together, taking their seats and looking down at the two vampires who were unceremoniously dropped before them.

In order to make the trial work, the witnesses and those being tried had to be at least functional, so a stop was made on the trip from Giza to Switzerland for blood. Now that they were at least fed, the two women whose heads were on the chopping block could speak. It was clear that whatever had been done to them was still affecting them, but no so much that a trial would be pushed back; the small council had an entire world to attend to and so justice was always carried out with the utmost swiftness.

"Regina. Ezra. You have been accused of practicing malicious Dark Magic including the usage of wraiths and energy draining and bondage spells as well as threatening and blackmailing the Enforcer Night Vale. There are seven witnesses in addition to said Enforcer who claim that you have committed these crimes against them. How do you plead?" Veritas' voice was hard and resolute, providing little space for debate. She had risen from her throne to stand at the edge of the platform, icy blue eyes regarded the two of them with pure indifference. Contempt would have been so much better. It was clear that any protests on their part would be futile but a confession was necessary if they didn't want to call each witness to speak.

Both women stole nervous glances at the Enforcer standing to their right. Zir feet were planted and zir arms were at zir sides, that image of skin missing and stars replacing it that now terrified them was visible on the back of zir left hand. Ze said nothing to them, but ze didn't need to in order to intimidate them. They had experienced zir wrath firsthand that night and that alone was enough to make them look up to the Guardians and stand, speaking in unison as though they were friends of some kind.

"We plead guilty." The sickly sweet scent of their fear was like a fog around them, leading the Guardians above them to believe that it was the council which scared them so. They would not get to speak out on how the officer that had brought them was the true source of their terror, but they knew in their cores that it would be known soon enough.

"Very well. Your punishment will be carried out by the Masters of the line you have antagonized. They will decide your ultimate fate. As of now, the wars you have begun are over." Veritas added before she turned around to sit again. "This trial is concluded. You may leave." She sat and met Chris' eyes for the briefest of moments. "All of you," she added.

Chris saluted and bowed, addressing them all, but looking at her. "Thank you, Guardians." Ze followed zir parents, Spade and Cat holding Regina and Ezra by the arms and practically dragging them out.

Jefferson had stayed behind the line again to walk beside Chris. It wasn't against any rules for Enforcers to court, fall in love, or marry, so long as it didn't interfere with their roles, so showing affection wouldn't have been out of line. However, Chris didn't look well. There was a conflicted, almost haunted look on zir face that concerned him, but let him know that taking zir hand or kissing zir cheek was not something ze wanted at the moment. He didn't speak, either, and let the sounds of their footsteps in the tunnels be the only sound as one of the Enforcers that acted as guards led them back out to the cave's entrance.

 

The nearest and safest place for them all to gather was Spade's residence in England. The manor where he had grown up was three hours away by plane. As opposed to wasting time on contacting allies and letting more paranaturals know of what happened before they could all regroup, Chris used what power ze had left to fly them there zirself. Zir parents had only fed just enough to not sway on their feet during the trial and so were still significantly weaker than normal. They landed just before dawn and dragged themselves inside.

Chris and Jefferson were tasked with escorting the two sorceresses to the dungeon built beneath the manor. Ezra said nothing as she was dragged along ahead of Regina who was following Jefferson with a bowed head. He didn't touch her, nor did he want to. And without her magic she was helpless against the two of them. Hell, even with her magic she hadn't posed much of a threat to the paranatural leading the four of them down concrete steps to a holding area with reinforced cells.

She watched in silence as Ezra was pushed into one of the cells, the locks sliding into place on their own without a hand to move them before Chris turned away and walked back to the stairs. She wanted to grab Jefferson and stop him from opening a second cell on the other side of the room, but she knew it was useless. She stepped inside all on her own and couldn't bring herself to look at him when he locked her in. For the better part of two centuries she had hoped to gain what she had lost in Daniel's death from him, but once again she had worked for nothing. The only difference was this time her desperation to win and get what she wanted had resulted in her condemnation. She knew just as well as everyone else that what awaited her in the future was unspeakable. And yet, for all the horror she knew would be coming, she also knew that nothing could compare to what she had experienced in that tomb. She felt as if a piece of her very soul had been torn to pieces and regardless of what would occur from that moment forward, the agony of being rendered powerless outweighed all else.

Ezra said nothing as she sat against the wall of her cell. She should have seen this coming. Her visions had never been wrong. It baffled her that such an outcome could not be predicted by her, it was why she had stood by Radjedef in the first place. She knew he was arrogant and too easily manipulated by how own emotions, but she had not foreseen failure. Then again, no one could have foreseen a being like Chinoe. Ze was unnatural in every sense of the word. Ze should not have been a part of their world to begin with. That hadn't stopped Mencheres from turning away from every known law their was and twisting the very cosmos themselves in his endless quest for power. It was a quest that had killed her best friend of a thousand years and now her. She would rue him until the day he killed her, though she knew that was far from the moment she made the vow. The ghost of her vengeance would haunt him forever, a constant reminder that one day he too would fall and when he did, she would be waiting.

 

Chris went straight from the dungeon to the bedroom ze had stayed in on and off zir entire life. The black curtains complimented the dark red paint of the walls. A thick purple duvet covered the king sized bed that ze had shared with zir dog and friends that ze could never laugh with again. Assorted rugs with different patterns covered the floor and stood underneath organizer shelves filled with papers and textbooks that ze had collected over the years. Zir large wood desk had more areas sectioned off; one side was for books that ze had filled with bookmarks made out of sticky notes and scrap paper while the other side had journals and filing folders filled with drawings or papers or whatever else ze had made on a whim while inside. In addition to the clutter was a single object that ze had held onto and taken with zir to many different homes; the violet, oval crystal that Jefferson had given zir over a dozen years earlier. The window beside zir desk had been a safe haven for years, its large sill covered in mismatched cushions and pillows then hidden by a velvet curtain that ze had found by accident and mounted on zir own one random afternoon.

That was the spot ze chose, moving aside the curtain to climb onto the sill and curl up against the glass. Chris watched the green lawn and trees bordering it brighten with the sun's ascension into the sky. Between zir palm and clenched fingers rested the smooth crystal, no images changing its surface for now as it was rubbed idly. Ze heard footsteps in the hallway long after ze sensed a presence drawing near and tugged the curtain back into place. A black silhouette of zir could be seen as the sky grew gray instead of black, the clouds overhead blocking view of the blue further above.

"Chris? Sweetie?" Denise's voice was soft, as if she was afraid she would startle zir if she spoke at a normal volume. She walked to the curtain and stopped. "What's wrong? Are you upset at those two? You know your fathers and Cat will deal with them."

Ze couldn't help but be moved by her concern and pushed the curtain aside, leaning zir back against the window so ze was facing her as she sat on the sill's edge. "Mommy, can I ask you a question?" Ze was still a bit guarded, but became less instinctively; Denise was naturally comforting. Whether it was her soft appearance or just her demeanor or a combination of both could be up for debate, but it was undeniable that her presence was always soothing.

She smiled a bit, leaning forward to place a hand on zir leg. "Of course."

"Are you afraid of me?" It was a question that had been on zir mind since ze was a child and after that moment in the tomb, ze couldn't wait any longer to ask it. "Not just you, all of you. Do I scare you?"

Zir mother seemed a bit taken aback by the question, but didn't hesitate in speaking. "I know you can hear what I'm thinking anyway, so I'll say it. Yes and no. There's no straightforward answer, I'm afraid."

Chris squinted and seemed to withdraw from her. "What do you mean?"

"She already said what she meant, luv." Bones appeared in the doorway and stood by Denise. "There's no one word way to put it. And what's this all about? You think we're scared of our own child?"

Chris glanced at Denise's hand on zir leg. "I don't know. When we were in the tomb, I saw you all watching me while I dealt with Radje and Ezra and Regina. You were terrified." Ze wanted to stand and pace. Ze felt too cornered with them both in front of zir and ze could hear more footsteps in the hall. Apparently this was now an impromptu family meeting. Wonderful. "And it's not that I blame you for it. What I did was scary. It's just that..I don't want to be feared by you. I know that everyone else is afraid of me, but that's a good thing. If people fear you then they think twice before trying to harm you and the people you care about, but how can you love someone that terrifies you?" Ze looked up again and saw that all six of them were surrounding zir now and all of them looked as concerned as Denise and Bones already sounded.

"Do you think that we don't love you?" Kira asked, stepping closer but not sitting by zir.

Ze shook zir head quickly. Fucking hell, ze was too damn tired to be talking about this stuff. Why couldn't ze just keep zir mouth shut? "No, no, it's not that. I know you love me. All of you do, and you've shown me what it is to love people back. Without you, I would still be a blank robot, or worse." Ze ran a hand through the front of zir hair, combing it back and out of zir face. "I don't know what's going on with me..I can't explain it."

As usual, Mencheres took that as his cue to speak. "You're trying to figure out who you are, Chinoe. You have been both feared and revered your entire life. You have been seen as a threat to the entire world and a savior of it. You sacrificed your freedom for us when you agreed to become an Enforcer and you have lost friends and family in fights that should not have been yours to be a part of. The things we have witnessed you achieve are incredible and that can be cause for fear, but know that no matter what happens we will remain a family. You fought for us and you won. We could not thank you enough for that and so much more. If you are confused, do not worry, we are still learning how to be the best parents we can to you." He allowed himself a smile. "We are proud to call you our child, I hope you know that."

Maybe it was the exhaustion or the stress or the fact that ze had finally opened up about feeling like a source of anxiety instead of positivity, but Chris began to cry. Silent tears that trickled down zir cheeks as ze swallowed down a lump in zir throat that refused to move. Ze slid forward and let them wrap their arms around zir again, hugging Mencheres only because he was the closest. They stayed that way for minutes, feeling united and complete at last.

A light tapping on the door broke their tight formation. Chris let Denise wipe zir face before ze stood and they moved aside to let zir see who was at the door.

"I just came to see how you were doing. I'm sorry if I interrupted something," Jefferson said, looking every bit as tired as borderline miserable as ze had in the window sill.

"It's okay, you didn't." Ze ignored Spade's quick thought that Jefferson should have waited his bloody turn before rudely inserting himself into their moment and waved him over. "Are you okay?"

He wrapped his arms around zir and leaned his cheek against zir shoulder. "I am if you are."

Ze squeezed him gently. "Good. I still think sleep couldn't hurt us though, right?"

"Are you sure you'll be sleeping?" Cat asked with a knowing smirk. Bones’ flirtatious habits had been rubbed off on her quite a bit over the years.

Chris gasped and let go of Jefferson who had begun to laugh to turn to her. "Mom!"

Cat held her hands up. "What? It was a valid question!"

Bones decided to chime in,” Make sure that you don-"

"No! Dad, no!" Chris pointed to the door. "That's enough!" His smile was contagious and made worse by Jefferson's continued laughter, but ze didn't want to hear whatever he was about to say.

"Fine. I already taught him everything I know anyway," Bones said on his way to the door.

"Don't listen to him, he's lost his mind from staying up too long," Spade said and pulled zir into a hug. "We love you, darling. Remember that. Sleep well."

Kira stopped in front of zir and crossed her arms. When ze bent down, she kissed zir on the cheek. "I have to say, I didn't think all that stuff you did was possible, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Keep it up, okay? You're doing great."

Kira was the last one out and closed the door behind her, leaving Jefferson and Chris alone.

"They're all right, you know. And you are too. You can be scary sometimes, but so can the rest of us." He took zir hand and tugged zir toward the bed. "Don't try and box yourself into anything, okay? There's more to you than any of us can understand."

Chris nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm just glad this is over. For now, at least." Ze was in desperate need of sleep and a few days to process all that ze had heard and done in the last couple of days

Jefferson sat next to zir and took zir hand, lacing their fingers together. The familiar buzz that came from contact between them was more comforting than either of them could communicate. ”So am I. And when something flares up again, we'll deal with it together."

Ze looked to him and for once didn't want to cover the adoring smile he had, instead opting to return it. "Yes, we will. All of us."


	34. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris finally confronts their uncle, Ezra, and Regina to put an end to this war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: blood, gore, horror, misgendering

An endless expanse of sand and rock stretched as far as the eye could see in one direction. A small stretch of the same sand separated the Giza plateau from the southwestern outskirts of Cairo.

The proud pyramids, iconic monuments slaved over for decades by humans and paranaturals alike, still stood as symbols to the power of those they had housed. Once encased in ivory and shining in the abundant sun of the desert or soft moonlight of the night, they now cracked and crumbled, worn and weathered by passing ages. The individual stones, once covered to create the smooth appearance that a king’s tomb deserved, were now bare. Against the clear night sky, they loomed over all that approached them, but could no longer compare to the astounding metal towers that humans could build in less than a year. Frigid evening air steadily blew what sand crumbled off of the stones from the tops of them to the bases, withering them little by little.

The smallest of the structures to be found was the destination of one Enforcer and realm jumper. Aside from it being the littlest in the complex, it had a massive vertical gash in its north face from when an heir who reigned far after the pharaoh who was honored by the tomb tried to have it demolished and failed. It had remained in its place, upright and grand, for over four thousand years. Once it had housed a king with little legacy to be remembered by in the human world after his supposed death. Once his reign had ended, he enjoyed his undead afterlife inside with legendary depravity that earned him the nickname ‘Eros’. Hidden beneath the triangular structure was a series of tunnels and rooms that had held dozens of fawning suitors and initial members of his now-massive line alike. Accessible only by a secret entrance, the winding maze of stone and dust had made way for its first visitors in decades, though there were no celebrations to be had now.

Soon enough, blood would be painting the cracked rock floors and weathered walls.

Jefferson and Chris moved silently, barely touching the floor as they quickly passed through winding halls and darkened chambers with furniture of gold and ivory. Eons had come and gone, leaving the luxurious rooms that had once gone weeks without being emptied out completely vacant, layers of dust collecting and settling on the shiny surfaces of jewels and furniture alike. Silk had rotted and gold become tarnished, making the test of time all too visible.

Deep beneath the surface, an overwhelming presence could be felt. It was dark, more so than the lightless halls and rooms, and its energy permeated the entire structure of the resting place. This only increased the lower one got, growing to levels of suffocation in the deathly stillness.

The source of the powerful energy was found in the tomb itself. The sarcophagus that it was built to hold now gone, leaving space for the nine paranaturals inside and gold stands that held small fires casting orange and red light. Out of all of them, only three were free of bonds.

Chris wanted to set the entire pyramid aflame when ze finally got to see what was awaiting zir inside the tomb of zir father.

Since the call sixteen hours earlier, a few things had changed. The six paranaturals being held captive were no longer all in a single line against one wall. They had been separated into three pairs. On the left side of the stone room were Cat and Denise, known more widely by their names Red Reaper and The Dragon respectively, were bound to the floor by chains that glowed an eerie yellow-green light. Their legs were folded beneath them and their arms were tethered behind them, leaving the two women to slump forward, evidence of their brutal treatment clear from their tattered and bloodied clothes; in person they looked so much worse than they had through the camera and screen. Cat’s red hair, normally silky and hanging to the center of her back in a lovely bright swath, was matted and filled with knots, her pale skin streaked with dirt and blood. Denise looked similar, with her brown hair messy and damp with sweat. Her heart was the only one that still beat and its rhythm was slow and lethargic. On the opposite side of the room were Spade and Kira, the latter woman known more commonly as The Dark Lady, positioned the same way as the women opposite them. They looked just as battered with Kira’s blond hair missing in chunks and blood crusted and dried on Spade’s pale skin.

In the back of the room, however, was an even more mortifying image; Bones and Mencheres had been strung up against the wall side by side with spikes driven through their wrists, ankles, necks and chests. Their arms and legs were stretched out as far as possible and their clothes had been either cut or ripped off to reveal very little skin not coated in blood, dust, or grime. They struggled to keep their heads upright, their bodies tense with the pain wrought from the silver keeping them up off the floor.

The orchestrators of the entire situation stood to face the two who had come to confront them, looking the same as they had over the call. Regina stood by Spade and Kira, her satin dress expertly tailored to fit her perfectly and her hair so flawless it appeared that she had done nothing more but sit in a stylist’s chair and have it tended to. Her lips, painted blood red, curled in a smile that would have terrified anyone but the two who faced her.

Ezra stood behind Radjedef, who waited in the center of the room, still clad in the traditional outfit of an ancient pharaoh, as if he could turn back time itself and take the throne he still believe he rightfully deserved. He stood proud as could be, an uninhibited smile on his face that contrasted the glare being shot by the woman behind him.

He spread his hands out to greet the child of his nephew and the their ze had brought. “Chinoe Amen,” he said, using zir birth name. “How wonderful it is that you have joined us.”

Chris’ mask was firmly in place. Ze let zir bitter scent and flaring aura tell the three of them exactly how ze felt about being there. “Radje. I would say it’s a pleasure but I would be lying. And it is illegal to lie to a Law Guardian.” Ze watched his smile grow smug, then added with a shake of zir head,”Hold on, my mistake. You’re not a Guardian anymore.” Ze bowed. “It is a pleasure to be here.”

Ezra muttered under her breath in the ex-Guardian’s native language,” Miserable, ungrateful Child.”

Chris straightened and answered her back in the same language. “Do you not know it is rude to speak of people as if they are not there when in fact they are? Please address me directly if you have something vicious to say.” That earned two surprised looks and the ghost of a smile from zir father in the back of the room.

“What is it you want from me?” ze said, looking to Radjedef now, still speaking in the ancient tongue taught to zir by Mencheres. Out of the corner of zir eye, ze could have sworn ze saw something darker than the dancing shadows provided by the tall torches move.

Radjedef inclined his head and stepped closer to zir, his movements as graceful as could be expected, though ze could have sworn ze saw something black as pitch moving beneath his honey skin before it was gone. “What a silly question. I thought a smart girl like you would have paid better attention when I told you before.”

Chris was almost disappointed by the low blow regarding zir gender identity and had to resist the urge to roll zir eyes. “I heard you perfectly clear. You want to get my father’s powers through him and Bones or me. My question is, how do you expect to get it?”

The hand that reached for zir was covered in rings, thin fingers tracing down zir arm in a calculating way that seemed like Radjedef was gauging zir more than anything else. “You are going to give it to me. Will it into me as my sire did for my nephew. And once you do, I will let them be free.” He gestured to the vampires and half-demon he held captive.

Chris didn’t bother to get another look at zir parents bound and helpless; it was the last thing ze ever wanted to see. The sheer arrogance of the man in front of zir was baffling. Not a single guard had been in the halls and his demand for zir to not bring weapons was completely useless given that his only defense was grave essence used on zir parents, him, Regina, and Ezra that would render zir unable to use telekinesis on them.

“And if I don’t do what you want?” Ze was fairly sure what the answer would be, but there was no way in hell ze was going to roll over and make this easy for him, not even at the beginning. Ze would not leave that tomb until ze was crushing his remains beneath zir heel.

His smile went from cocky to malicious in a flash, his thoughts filled with curses and insults that he couldn’t speak fast enough to include while talking to zir. “Why, you can negotiate with the enchantress behind me.”

Ezra took his as her cue to step forward, her own mind buzzing with strange words that ze couldn’t understand but could guess were the spells keeping zir parents captive and in so much pain that ze could feel it constantly burning zir own subconsciousness. Her aura was as dark as Radjedef’s, raising some serious concern for Chris. This was for the most part due to the fact that he had bargained with Gods of death just to get a single shot at finally getting his way with Mencheres. That level of pure hatred and corruption being used in magic could be catastrophic.

Chris ignored the daggers being glared at zir and looked to Regina, still standing by Spade and Kira with a smirk on her face. Her gaze, however, was not on zir. Instead, she was staring Jefferson down and though her mouth never opened, a great deal was being said in her mind. The betrayal she was feeling at being on a side against him ran deep and her thoughts were so pained and angry that it spoke for itself why she would be there when she had little to no stake in siding with Radjedef. Ze decided to ask anyway.

“What are you doing here, then?” Ze returned to English to ensure she would understand zir. “You might not care for my family, but I’ve never heard of you being close to Patra or against my father.”

That finally made her break the angry staring contest she was in with the man across from her and look to zir. “You’re right. I’m not against your father.” She leaned forward the slightest bit. “I’m against you. You led Jefferson astray and protected him when you should not have.”

That finally made Jefferson speak up. “They did no such thing, Regina!” He clenched his fist and got himself under enough control to not yell,” I told you why I said no and you didn’t listen to me. I don’t love you. I might have once, but not anymore. You need to either let this go or leave with me so we can settle it between us. This isn’t their fight.”

Instead of yelling back like Chris expected, she laughed, throwing her head back as the awful, grating sound of her bitter laughter bounced off the stone walls. “That’s what you think,” she said when she looked at him again. “You brought them into this when you chose them over me.”

Jefferson crossed over to her in three long, angry strides. “Is that why you’re here? What, if you can’t have me, then no one can?” Their faces were inches apart, flecks of emerald appearing in both of their eyes.

“Precisely, my dear,” she said, meeting his gaze with perfect confidence. “But you can stop me. Just denounce them. Return to where you belong.”

Ezra smiled at that, never taking her eyes off of Chris as ze watched the exchange with a blank face, though she could smell the agitation pouring off of zir. She had said the same thing to him long ago.

Jefferson squared his shoulders. “No. I won’t condemn the person I love. Not for you, or anyone.”

Chris could feel Radjedef’s gaze on zir and looked to him. “Uncle,” ze said, catching the attention of several vampires in the room. “I have something similar to say to you. I will not be giving you my power. Any amount of it.” Ze didn’t need to step closer to punctuate zir point. Instead, ze planted zir feet. “You didn’t get it from your sire because it was never meant to be yours. You didn’t deserve it in the first place. He knew you well enough to know that such great power could never be entrusted to someone like you. A bitter, immature, spiteful, vengeful brat who is incapable of considering anyone but himself. You could never wield the power my fathers have, let alone mine. I don’t care who you think you are or what you threaten me with or what you have given to get this opportunity-” Ze let zir eyes blaze, but didn’t raise zir voice, ze would not stoop so low as to scream at him yet “-I will personally make sure that you return to Duat, where you belong.”

Radjedef wanted to yell. He wanted to howl and shout and tear the imprudent, blasphemous, worthless child who dared to speak to him in such a way to pieces. He wanted to paint himself with zir blood. Instead of acting on such impulses, however, he kept his mouth shut for the first time ever and stepped back. This was precisely why he had brought Ezra.

The flickering shadows cast by the torches illuminating the room abandoned their places by the captive paranaturals still chained up, and rushed across the floor. They rose around Ezra, their foggy, shifting forms towering over her to reach the ceiling in a flash.

Chris’ arms lit up with red and white flames and zir aura flared up, filling the room with buzzing electricity. The forms had white eyes that seemed to stare straight through zir, looking past zir physical form to what lay inside of it.

They all lurched forward at the same time and just before their darkness enveloped zir, ze caught sight of Radjedef turning away with Jefferson on his way to stop him from getting any closer to his captives. The shadows, fallen and tormented souls from the Underworld summoned by Ezra, clawed and snapped at zir. They entered zir, passing through zir skin and making it bubble up before they flew out to tear into zir again.

The agony from the attacks was greater than anything Chris had ever felt. The burn was worse than silver and their claws were sharper than daggers, yet ze refused to let them draw sounds from zir. Ze focused on their energy, on the fact that they existed on a separate plane and decided to extinguish zir fire in favor of fighting like they did.

Zir eyes turned black and ze rose up from where ze had fallen to the ground, zir skin changing from dark brown to the image of the heavens that had been a part of zir since ze was created. The glow of the stars bled into the air and punched holes in the shadows while the colors of nebulae millions of years old lifted from zir and pushed out against them. Ze began to rise off the ground, the black forms collecting and swirling around zir in a sphere of darkness that expanded outward the more ze pushed back against them. From the outside, the other paranaturals could see a blinding light growing and wisps of color floating out from gaps in the frenzy of movement from the tormented souls.

All at once, the swelling sphere collapsed inward, the shadows commanded by Ezra trying to get beneath Chris’ skin again before the light and colors burst in a blinding eruption. The darkness dissipated to show zir completely covered by shifting images of the abyss that had birthed zir.

Ze landed in front of Ezra and raised a hand, bringing her to her knees before zir, the grave essence unable to stop zir from taking control of her body directly. Ze dropped to one knee, ignoring the stares from Radjedef, Regina, and zir lover. Ze pressed zir thumb against the center of her forehead, holding the side of her head with the rest of zir hand, and pressed zir other hand against her chest. Ze could feel the energy swirling within her that had poured out to make her spells possible. She was connected to the chains and the shadows ze had banished. Ze sought the source of that connection, felt it in zir own body, the spark of magic that made her so powerful. Ze focused on it and with a single, concentrated blow, destroyed it. The energy in her cracked and shattered, resulting in a blood curdling scream that shook the walls of the tomb.

Ze straightened, looking up and across the room to where the others were. Radjedef had a long, curved blade of silver in his hand, his back facing zir as he looked at Jefferson who was standing between him and the two vampires skewered against the wall. Regina stood beside the realm jumper, something glowing red in her hand.

The sorceress began to close her fingers around the heart she held, making Jefferson wince in pain and stumble. She didn’t look away from him when Chris walked toward her, green appearing in zir black eyes. She squeezed tighter and a cracking noise could be heard before her hand stopped moving. She frowned and her arm tensed as she tried to squeeze again, but her fingers would not obey her.

Radjedef whirled around and stabbed Chris through the chest with his curved blade. “No! You will not take this from me!” He finally yelled, once again in his native tongue.

Chris said nothing and continued to walk as he twisted the blade over and over. The sharp silver didn’t stop zir from raising zir hand again, at Regina this time, and seizing control of her. Ze made her step forward and thrust her arm into Jefferson’s chest, replacing his heart against her will as she gritted her teeth and cursed. Every attempt she made to fight the celestial being’s control failed as she let go of the portal jumper’s vital organ and removed her arm from him. She was on the verge of tears, stepping back and turning to face zir, her legs giving out beneath her.

Radjedef tried to get in zir way by running forward, but he hit an unseen wall that ze placed before him. He could only watch as ze placed zir hands on Regina exactly as ze had done with Ezra just moments before. He screamed as zir eyes turned black once again and Regina’s eyes changed to match it. The stars on zir skin seemed to shoot rays of white, violet, and red outward to light up the tomb. The energy that emanated from zir began to grow again, reaching levels that made him almost numb with the overwhelming feeling of being so close to it. He felt Regina’s own aura intensify then, just as had happened with Patra’s best friend, blast apart and crumble. He watched her eyes overflow and pour pink tears down her cheeks as she howled, an elongated, inhuman sound of pure agony ringing in his ears that made him shudder despite himself.

It was only when she was completely lost to the pain of losing her power that Chris let her go and step over her. Ze looked up at two out of three of zir fathers and released them from their bonds, yanking out the silver spikes all at once with perfect accuracy; a laser would have been sloppier. Ze carefully lowered the two of them to the ground and didn’t need to turn to break the chains on the other four of zir parental unit.

Radjedef could not stop the angry tears that streaked his face as he pounded against that invisible wall ze had erected to keep him in place. “You cannot do this! You will not win! The Gods themselves owe me this power! It is my right! You can never take it away from me!”

His desperate cries drew the attention of his six freed hostages and the lover to the person who had destroyed it all. They watched in silence as Chris turned to face him, once again speaking in the ancient language once uttered by those who built and lived in the tomb they were inside of.

“You are wrong, Radje. I already have.” Ze didn’t bother to move this time. Ze only needed a single thought and another flare of energy to blast him away in a burst of fire and energy that tore him apart piece by piece, vaporizing bits of him with white-hot flames. The gold and jewels he had worn melted and split into pieces all at once, fusing with his flesh as it fragmented. His cape and linens crisped to black, blown away by the force of the fire. His bubbling flesh tore into pieces and erupted off of his bones before they too were crushed and burned away. Nothing was left of him but a soul that returned to its place in Duat, never to return.

Regina and Ezra were collapsed on the floor, barely conscious, but still alive. Chris made a sweeping motion to carry them into the air next to one another so ze could address them. Ze woke them to ensure ze would be heard.

“Regina, Ezra, your crimes against my family, my allies, my love, and I are punishable by death.” Ze watched the terror on their faces and continued. “However, as an Enforcer of the law, I am to be neutral. Therefore, I have ensured the Law Guardians themselves heard what has taken place here.” Ze reached into the front pocket of zir pants and pulled out the phone that ze had called Veritas with before entering the tomb. “They will decide your fate in threatening an Enforcer and making use of illegal Dark Magic. Perhaps I will see you once they do to carry out your sentence, perhaps I will never hear from you again, it is not up to me.” Ze dropped them on the ground. “It was unwise of you to believe you would be able to stand against my family and win. Your mistakes will become a reminder for all paranaturals to be wary of war with us and a warning of what happens to those who break the law.”

Ezra managed to look up at zir, pure hatred lighting up her golden eyes with eerie green. “Why would you do this?” she snarled. “Why would you rip our magic from us when you could just kill us?!”

Chris met her eyes with no emotion at all, zir own no longer black but dark green again as zir skin returned to its normal dark brown. “Because death is mercy.” Ze glanced behind zir at zir parents getting to their feet with the help of Jefferson before looking to her and Regina again. “And I owe you nothing, most especially not my mercy.”


	35. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snapshot of a year following the final chapter's events.

Was a phone call from your boyfriend who was being held hostage by mythical monsters a valid reason to get up and leave your Women’s Studies class in the middle of an important lecture? Chris hoped so. Ze had been sitting front and center in the lecture hall, so it drew some attention when the professor was in the middle of a sentence and a student walked out.

A brisk pace carried zir through the halls, lit by rectangular fluorescent lights built into the tiling on the ceilings. Zir sneakers made little noise against the checkered tile pattern on the floor then the sidewalk outside. Ze turned to enter an alley beside the building on campus ze had been in, took a quick look around, then vanished from sight, moving through evening New York City traffic faster than could be seen with the naked eye. Ze was inside of zir apartment several blocks away in less than a minute. The phone call had been with zir personal cell phone, so ze made a note to have the number changed when ze got back.

Ze suited up, zipping a catsuit with a high collar that stretched to accommodate zir wide hips and pressed zir chest down. Twin holsters and a belt with a sheathed sword wrapped around zir waist and hips, joined by straps with silver knives down zir thighs, stopping just above the knee-high black boots ze wore. Zir arms were lined with more sharp silver then covered with a near ankle-length leather coat zir father had given zir for Christmas the year before. Perhaps it looked a bit odd for zir to be wearing such heavy clothing at the end of August, but the heat hardly bothered zir.

The phone call had come from a location Chris was not eager to go to after a terrible experience there a year earlier. A decrepit church lay in the middle of a derelict neighborhood in the Bronx. Ze didn't mind the neighborhood itself in terms of the humans found there; it was more that it seemed to be a center for careless young paranaturals to stir up trouble that ze had to go and deal with. The burned out shell of a building with rotting wood, broken stained glass windows, and overturned pews was simply a front for what lay beneath. Ze had witnessed first-hand the kind of entertainment to be had in the underground club. It was where paranaturals went to gather with infatuated and obsessed humans seeking a thrill. Ze had sensed the energy coming from it from several blocks away and wasted no time in parking zir car, a nondescript black vehicle that wouldn't stand out if someone was searching for a tell from zir, and walking inside.

Ze tapped zir foot on a section of wood in a corner of the building that ze knew was a trap door, stomped twice on the floor, and begrudgingly called out, "Volturi."

The door was pushed open and ze was granted access, leaping down through the opening instead of using the ladder provided. The music, which had been nearly inaudible due to soundproofing, was already loud enough to damage human ears. The young vampire who had opened the door was already down the hall, lit up with red lights, that led to the main room with the largest bar and dance floor. Ze could guess that Jefferson was being held in the lounge, so ze walked around the mass of dancing humans and paranaturals, ignoring the bumping songs with thrumming baselines that were playing in favor of taking the stairway down to the bottom floor.

It all looked exactly as ze had left it, dark carpet with red patterned walls and small rooms hidden by velvet curtains. At the end of the hall was that dungeon-like door that opened up into a lounge with its own bar, violet and red lights, and dark couches. Inside of that private room anything goes including kidnapping, apparently.

Chris was in front of the door in an instant and could already sense that Jefferson was inside, joined no doubt by more paranaturals. Zir arms were ablaze as ze swept a hand to the side that had the door swinging wide open just as the other auras in the room registered and told zir that more familiar paranaturals were inside.

"Surprise!!" Everyone inside, which included about two dozen different paranaturals, shouted it in unison, making Chris jump. Zir parents, lover, and several aunts and uncles were inside, all smiling with open arms.

The flames on zir arms went out and ze barely got past the door before getting run down by hugs and pats on the head and back. "What are you guys doing here?"

"It's for your birthday, sweetie!" Denise pecked zir on the cheek before ze was stolen away by Annette.

Chris hugged zir aunt back and kissed both of her perfectly contoured cheeks. "But my birthday was last week. I was in France tracking down another human trafficking ring." 

"That's why it's a surprise, darling," Annette said, still holding zir shoulders in her delicate grip. "Cat thought of it. Your Uncle Juan wanted it to be at a strip club, but we thought this place would suit our purposes better what with the activity already around it."

"It would have been better in a strip club. Who doesn't love beautiful women?" Juan pushed through the wall zir parents and some others had formed around zir to pull zir into a crushing hug. "Am I wrong?"

Chris hugged him back equally tight and laughed. "Of course not, /Tio/. Maybe next time."

Bones had moved up behind zir and tapped zir hip, feeling the gun strapped there. "What's all this?"

Ze turned to face him. "Jefferson's a good actor, okay? I thought he was in serious danger and no one ever tries to attack me without some sort of ambush, so I wanted to be prepared."

That made the brunette grin and slap zir back in approval. "That's right. Always come prepared and?"

"Kick them while they're down. You never know if they're fucking with you and faking injury," ze said, hearing a few laughs from behind zir.

"If this is how you are at twenty-four, imagine where you'll be when you're our age." Ian piped up, shoving his way to zir side, then pushing zir father away so he could stand in front of zir. "Let me see."

"Isn't this supposed to be a party, uncle?" Ze asked, shrugging the coat off to reveal the blades strapped to zir arms and legs.

"Of course it is, but I want to see what you would have sliced me with." He looked zir over, tapping the sword sheathed against zir hip. Three years earlier he had commissioned it from a silversmith friend of his and given it to zir as a gift in honor of zir beginning to train as an Enforcer. As he could see, the gesture had yet to be forgotten. "See that? You have good taste. My question is, why do you have all of this if you could just set everyone on fire or knock their heads off?"

"Because weapons look cool, even if I don't use them," ze said with a smile. It wasn't as practical to carry weapons as to use zir powers, but ze had trained too long and hard for too many years to not use the skills ze had acquired. Fighting hand to hand was a form of appreciation in zir opinion.

"Don't turn into a show horse like that old bat you call an uncle, alright?" Bones said just as the vampire in question tugged zir out of the circle.

"Isn't that bastard just the pettiest?" Vlad clicked his tongue. "It's a shame he hasn't grown up yet. Remember, if someone picks a fight with you, you call me." He examined the various weapons attached to zir with a toothy grin that was all too reminiscent of the terrifying ruler he had been.

"Of course, Uncle Tepesh." Ze began removing the knives and straps.

Once the silver and guns were piled beside one of the couches along with the folded coat, ze went to the bar to get a drink. Cat followed zir and sat, ordering a gin and tonic. Her red cocktail dress rode up her pale legs the tiniest bit once she was settled.

"Do you think you'll be finishing up school soon? How many degrees have you got piled on so far? I think the number is somewhere near too damn many." She said it with a smile as she took her drink and sipped it.

"I might take a break after this semester. I've been missing a lot lately. Veritas seems to pick on me a lot more than the other Enforcers," ze said, taking the appletini handed to zir and sipping from it.

"That means she favors you." Mencheres appeared seemingly out of nowhere to sit on Chris' other side. "She wants to make the best use of your potential. It is an honor to be treated as such by a Guardian."

Chris nodded. "I know it is. On a level, I still can't believe that I'm an Enforcer. I thought the offer was a joke, but they treat me just like the other officers."

Kira tapped the back of zir shoulder to get zir attention before waving for zir to sit on the nearest couch with her. "That's because you earned it. You told us about the training. It sounded like complete and utter hell."

"Oh, it was." Ze downed the rest of the small glass and stood. "It's still surreal though. I guess I feel like everything goes too fast." Ze sat beside her.

"You think time goes fast for you? Wait until you're my age." Jefferson sauntered over, dressed like an extra from a heavy metal music video with his leather pants, boots, and open black shirt. He plopped himself in Chris lap and kissed the side of zir head. "Don't worry about it, okay? It's your birthday. Enjoy yourself for once."

"He's right. Celebrating annual cycles of life are important in this world, right?" A voice from the doorway got the attention of all of them. Once again, the demon Chris had encountered almost a year earlier appeared to be human. Her outfit, on the other hand, was more reminiscent of realms beyond earth. A skin-tight black and grey suit of leather similar to what Chris wore covered her physical form, accompanied by a pair of gloves, one black and one green to fit with the pointed, leaf-shaped shoulder guards with straps that crossed her chest. The ensemble was completed with a long cape of orange and pink and yellow satin, the colors melting into each other like a sunrise. She was followed by her two children, brought to her from Middle Earth by the realm jumper and Enforcer who rose to greet her.

Lenka was dressed like an explorer of sorts, a short blue top with an asymmetrical seam and high white collar covering her torso while a pair of tight brown pants embroidered with gold did the same for her legs. On the outside was a thigh-length beige coat and pair of light brown gloves. Her dark brown boots were striped and heeled.

Leo was not in line with his mother and twin sister, opting to dress more in the style of the world and time he was in. He wore a white button-up shirt underneath a beige sweater. Black jeans and black converse sneakers complimented the plain outfit and his fair complexion, now peachy instead of blue as it had been before.

Jefferson was the first to hug Genna, smiling at her. "I see that you've stuck around. I thought earth wasn't for you."

In her high heels, she was almost as tall as him. "Anywhere that my children are happy is good enough for me. And what of you? Still stealing and running from the law?"

He cast a glance over his shoulder at Chris who was scrutinizing him, zir arms crossed. He smiled at zir then answered," Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way, even if my true love is an officer. I'm not hurting anyone. Not anyone in this land, at least."

"Hey, you can steal me whenever you want," Leo said, winking at him before his sister swatted at his arm.

"It's nice to see you again." Chris smiled at the three of them, zir hands now folded in front of zir. "I hope you've been well."

"We have," Lenka said, her hands folded and mirroring zir own. "And we came with see how you are."

Leo held his hands out, his face lighting up with excitement. "That's not all! We brought you something! Both of you!" He looked to Genna for a moment before she nodded and Lenka pulled a large golden key out of her inner coat pocket. Carvings that matched the door in the vestibule that had allowed them to travel into their world in the first place decorated the length and large round handle of it. There were three curved pieces at the head meant to unlock the door it belonged to.

"There is a home in the mountains on the outskirts of our country in Middle Earth that has stood empty for quite some time. We don't go there very much anymore, so we wanted you to have it. Just in case," Lenka said, handing the key to Chris.

"It's huge!" Leo all but shouted. "It's huge and gorgeous, you'll love it. We don't have pictures but you can go visit as soon as you want. Maybe it could be a birthday vacation?" He waggled his eyebrows and giggled when Chris smiled at him.

"Maybe, if Vertias doesn't decide that I have to go chase more random delinquent ghouls this week. Thank you very much, all three of you. It means a lot,” ze said, feeling a rare surge of joy bubbling up to make zir smile wider.

Jefferson wrapped an arm around zir shoulders, grinning at the elves and their mother. “That it does. And come on in, this is still a party even if it’s quieter than what I usually attend.”

Chris rolled zir eyes. “Yes, it’s quiet, just the way I like it.” Ze glanced up when the song playing through the speakers built into the walls changed. “Would any of you like a drink?”

“I would love one.” Genna followed zir to the bar. “I’ve been hearing more about you, Night Vale,” she said as she leaned over the bar and ordered from the slightly flustered bartender.

“What have you heard?” Ze noted a few of the other guests tuning into their conversation.

“For one, your little rescue mission last year made quite an impression. I’ve seen some people scared to even use your name for fear you’ll come out of the shadows after them.” She smiled, full painted lips hiding her white teeth. “I think it’s all very funny. You’re a deity among mortals, after all. They should expect you to use it.”

Chris pursed zir lips and nodded. “I hear that quite a bit. At the moment I’m trying to make use of myself in a positive way. Or, semi-positive at least.”

Genna chuckled and took the glass handed to her by the bartender. “Of course you are. It’s so interesting how you earth people like to do that. It’s so human of you. I wonder where you’ll be in a hundred years. Or a thousand. Or even more.”

Ze shrugged. “Only time can tell. And what better way is there to blend in with humans than to act like one? I know that I’m not, I never will be, but that has never inhibited me and I don’t believe it will begin to anytime soon. If humans could wield my power then they would, there is a reason they don’t.”

“Wise words. The world has aged you quickly hasn’t it? Pain is an excellent teacher.” She sipped from her glass. “I would say it’s a pity, but I believe it has done you well.”

“I believe so too.” Ze let her pass zir and glanced up at the wall of bottles. Ze pointed at one and told the bartender to open it up. Now wasn’t the time for zir to dwell on the moments of agony that had beat zir into becoming so formidable, or the lives that had been lost due to zir mistakes, or the river of blood shed for and by zir; it was a party, not a funeral.

Soon enough, ze was in the swing of things, trying out the drinks available, talking and catching up with zir aunts and uncles, and eventually going upstairs with a few of them and zir parents, all led by Jefferson, to dance. The vengeful ghosts haunting zir could wait for now; ze would be ready to face them and fight like ze always did no matter what.


End file.
